attendre
/a.tɑ̃dʁ/
Waiting in French is expressed by the verb attendre.
The verb attendre is used to express the action of waiting or the act of staying or remaining in expectation.
Meaning: the act of staying or remaining in expectation (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, particularly in France, guetter is used to mean to wait for in a vigilant manner.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb attendre is used to express the action of waiting.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.tɑ̃dʁ/ (2 syllables)
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add the preposition 'pour' (to wait for), but 'attendre' is a direct transitive verb and takes a direct object: attendre quelqu'un.
Did you know?
- The phrase attendre un enfant is a common idiom that does not mean waiting for a child to arrive at a door, but rather that a woman is pregnant.
- The English word 'attend' is a direct relative of attendre, though in modern English it has shifted from 'waiting' to 'being present'.
- While attendre means to wait, the French use the phrase faire patienter when they want to politely tell someone they are being kept waiting, rather than just stating the fact of the wait.
Examples in context
- Il me fit attendre.He kept me waiting.This sentence shows how to use attendre to describe being kept waiting.Tatoeba #1408869 by sacredceltic, translation #298151 by CK
- T'ai-je fait attendre ?Have I kept you waiting?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has kept you waiting using attendre.Tatoeba #1330054 by sacredceltic, translation #64255 by CK
- Je vais t'attendre ici.I'll be here waiting for you.This sentence demonstrates using attendre to express waiting for someone in a specific location.Tatoeba #5291345 by Aiji, translation #2543117 by CK
- Je vous prie d'attendre un moment.Please wait for a moment.
- Veuillez patienter quelques instants.Please wait for a few moments.
- Nous sommes actuellement en attente d'une réponse de votre part.We are currently awaiting your response.
- Attends-moi ici.Wait for me here.
- Je suis en train d'attendre le bus.I am waiting for the bus.
- J'attends avec impatience ton arrivée.I am eagerly waiting for your arrival.
- Je guette ton retour depuis si longtemps.I've been waiting for your return for so long.
- 191 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas meet at a cafe.
- LéaDésolée, j'ai dû te faire attendre.Sorry, I had to keep you waiting.
- LucasCe n'est pas grave, je viens d'arriver.It's no big deal, I just arrived.
- LéaTu as détesté attendre tout seule ?Did you hate waiting all alone?
- LucasNon, j'ai lu un livre en attendant.No, I read a book while waiting.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry attendre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries attendre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
