Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| aspettare | /as.petˈta.re/ |
| attendere | /atˈtɛn.de.re/ |
The verb is used to describe delaying an action or staying in a place until an event occurs. The noun form attesa refers to a delay.
Which one should you use?
aspettare is the standard, everyday verb used in most situations. attendere is a more formal or literary version, often translated as 'to await'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, the verb aspettare is transitive. This means when you are waiting for someone, you do not use a preposition between the verb and the person. The gerund form of the verb is aspettando.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /as.petˈta.re/. It has 4 syllables with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say aspettare per when they mean 'to wait for' someone. You should omit the preposition per and simply say aspettare qualcuno.
Did you know?
- The verb attendere is a 'false friend' for English speakers because it looks like 'attend' in the sense of going to a meeting, but it actually means 'to wait'.
- The verb aspettare comes from the Latin word spectāre, meaning 'to look'. To wait in Italian is literally to keep looking out for something to arrive.
- While aspettare means 'to wait', the word spettacolo shares the same root and means 'a show' or 'a spectacle'.
Examples in context
- Non lo può aspettare.She can't wait for him.This sentence shows how to express waiting for a specific person with the verb aspettare.Tatoeba #10638598 by Guybrush88, translation #8514023 by CH
- Io devo aspettare qui.I must wait here.This sentence demonstrates using the verb aspettare to express a necessity to wait in a location.Tatoeba #1910218 by Guybrush88, translation #1820261 by FiRez
- La cena può aspettare.Dinner can wait.This sentence shows that the verb aspettare can be used to say that a situation or object can wait.Tatoeba #2439224 by Guybrush88, translation #587981 by Ploomich
- Non posso aspettare più a lungoI can't wait any longer
- Puoi aspettare una frazione di secondo?Can you wait for a split second?
- Aspetto con ansiaI'm eagerly waiting.
- 843 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Lorenzo are meeting at a cafe.
- GiuliaCiao Lorenzo! Scusa, devi aspettare un momento.Hi Lorenzo! Sorry, you have to wait a moment.
- LorenzoNon c'è problema, io posso aspettare.No problem, I can wait.
- GiuliaGrazie, vado a prendere un tavolo.Thanks, I'm going to get a table.
- LorenzoVa bene, ti aspetto qui.All right, I'll wait for you here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wait” translations and entries aspettare, attendere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aspettare, attendere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
