attendre
/a.tɑ̃dʁ/
Definition
To wait for someone or something, or to expect something to happen.
Example
Elle attend le bus devant l'école chaque matin.
Show translation
She waits for the bus in front of the school every morning.
Etymology
From Latin *attendere*, meaning "to stretch toward" or "to pay attention to," formed from *ad-* (toward) + *tendere* (to stretch). In Old French it evolved to mean "to wait," a sense shift that distinguished it from its English cousin "attend," making it a classic false friend.
Cultural note
**False-friend alert!** English speakers often assume *attendre* means "to attend," but it means **to wait**. "To attend" in French is *assister à*. This is one of the most common translation traps for anglophone learners of French. In everyday French life, patience with waiting — at the bakery, the pharmacy, or the post office — is culturally expected, making *attendre* a genuinely high-frequency verb.