attendre vs patienter
French word comparison
Listen to attendre
Listen to patienter
| attendre | patienter |
|---|---|
/a-ten-DRE/ verb | //pa.sjɑ̃.te// verb |
| to wait (for); sometimes to expect | to wait (with patience); to remain without acting until something happens |
How they differ
Patienter emphasizes enduring the wait and the state of being patient; it is more about tolerating delay. Attendre can be neutral and is often used transitively ('attendre quelqu'un/quelque chose'), whereas patientER is typically intransitive or used impersonally ('patienter' or 'Veuillez patienter').
When to use each
When to use attendre: Prefer 'attendre' when you mean simply 'to wait for' someone or something and can use a direct object (e.g. 'J'attends Paul').
When to use patienter: Prefer 'patienter' when you want to stress patience, politeness, or a temporary delay (e.g. in announcements: 'Veuillez patienter').
Side-by-side examples
- J'attends le train sur le quai.
(I am waiting for the train on the platform.) - Veuillez patienter, votre appel sera bientôt pris en charge.
(Please wait; your call will be handled shortly.)
Register & nuance: Patienter is slightly more formal or polite in contexts like announcements and customer service; attendre is neutral and common in everyday speech.