Attendre is the verb to wait, wait for, or expect — and a model regular -re verb (the vendre family). It is one of the first verbs every learner needs, because it covers everything from waiting at a bus stop to anticipating a phone call to expecting guests for dinner. The conjugation is fully regular: stem attend- with the standard -re endings, past participle attendu, auxiliary avoir in compound tenses.
The single most important fact about attendre, and the one that catches every English speaker, is that it takes a direct object — no preposition whatsoever. J'attends le bus, j'attends Pierre, j'attends ta réponse. There is no for, no à, no pour. English glosses attendre as "wait FOR," but French treats the thing waited-for as a plain direct object, just as it does with manger or prendre. Internalize this and a whole class of transfer errors disappears.
This page is the verb-reference entry: every paradigm, every compound tense, the four core uses with examples, the idiom s'attendre à, and the attendre que + subjunctive construction.
The simple tenses
These are the tenses formed without an auxiliary — the basic conjugational paradigms.
Présent de l'indicatif
The model paradigm for regular -re verbs. The stem attend- takes the endings -s, -s, -∅, -ons, -ez, -ent. The 3sg has no overt ending — the stem alone is the form.
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| j' | attends | /ʒatɑ̃/ |
| tu | attends | /tyatɑ̃/ |
| il / elle / on | attend | /atɑ̃/ |
| nous | attendons | /atɑ̃dɔ̃/ |
| vous | attendez | /atɑ̃de/ |
| ils / elles | attendent | /atɑ̃d/ |
In the singular, the final -d is silent — j'attends, tu attends, il attend are pronounced identically /atɑ̃/. The -d only becomes audible in the plural (attendons, attendez, attendent), where it sits between vowels.
Note also the obligatory elision: je attends → j'attends. The vowel a of attends triggers elision of the e in je.
J'attends le bus depuis vingt minutes, il est en retard.
I've been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes, it's late.
Tu attends quelqu'un ? Je peux te tenir compagnie si tu veux.
Are you waiting for someone? I can keep you company if you like.
On attend toujours ta réponse — qu'est-ce que tu en penses ?
We're still waiting for your answer — what do you think?
Imparfait
Built on the stem attend- plus the regular imparfait endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | attendais |
| tu | attendais |
| il / elle / on | attendait |
| nous | attendions |
| vous | attendiez |
| ils / elles | attendaient |
The imparfait of attendre is one of the most useful background-action tenses in French — it sets the scene for something else that happened: j'attendais le métro quand je l'ai croisé (I was waiting for the metro when I bumped into him).
J'attendais devant le cinéma quand il a commencé à pleuvoir.
I was waiting in front of the movie theater when it started raining.
Avant Internet, on attendait des semaines pour avoir des nouvelles d'un ami à l'étranger.
Before the Internet, we used to wait weeks for news from a friend abroad.
Passé simple (literary)
Stem attend- plus the -i- family endings. Used in literary writing.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | attendis |
| tu | attendis |
| il / elle / on | attendit |
| nous | attendîmes |
| vous | attendîtes |
| ils / elles | attendirent |
The circumflex on attendîmes and attendîtes is obligatory.
Elle attendit la nuit avant de partir, sans bruit.
She waited for nightfall before leaving, soundlessly. (literary)
Futur simple
Stem attendr- — infinitive minus the final -e. The double -d-r- is the diagnostic for the -re-family futur.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | attendrai |
| tu | attendras |
| il / elle / on | attendra |
| nous | attendrons |
| vous | attendrez |
| ils / elles | attendront |
Je t'attendrai devant la sortie, ne t'inquiète pas.
I'll wait for you in front of the exit, don't worry.
On attendra encore une heure, et après on rentre.
We'll wait another hour, and after that we're going home.
Conditionnel présent
Same attendr- stem, with imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | attendrais |
| tu | attendrais |
| il / elle / on | attendrait |
| nous | attendrions |
| vous | attendriez |
| ils / elles | attendraient |
À ta place, j'attendrais demain pour lui en parler.
If I were you, I'd wait until tomorrow to talk to her about it.
Subjonctif présent
Single stem attend- with regular subjunctive endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) j' | attende |
| (que) tu | attendes |
| (qu')il / elle / on | attende |
| (que) nous | attendions |
| (que) vous | attendiez |
| (qu')ils / elles | attendent |
The 1pl/2pl forms (attendions, attendiez) are spelled identically to the imparfait — context disambiguates.
Il faut que tu attendes ton tour, comme tout le monde.
You need to wait your turn, like everyone else.
Impératif
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | attends |
| (nous) | attendons |
| (vous) | attendez |
Attends, je n'ai pas encore fini de répondre.
Wait, I haven't finished answering yet.
Attendez une seconde, je reviens tout de suite.
Wait a second, I'll be right back.
The form attends (sometimes spelled attend in casual texting, though strictly incorrect) is one of the most-used words in spoken French — a kind of all-purpose pause marker, similar to "hold on" or "wait" in English.
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: attendu (agrees with preceding direct object when avoir is auxiliary)
- Participe présent: attendant
- Gérondif: en attendant
En attendant le train, j'ai écrit trois pages dans mon carnet.
While waiting for the train, I wrote three pages in my notebook.
The fixed expression en attendant on its own means "in the meantime" — extremely common in conversation:
Le repas sera prêt dans dix minutes. En attendant, prenons un apéritif.
Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. In the meantime, let's have an aperitif.
The compound tenses
Attendre uses avoir as its auxiliary in all compound tenses.
Passé composé
avoir (présent) + attendu
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| j' | ai attendu | I waited / I've waited |
| tu | as attendu | you waited |
| il / elle / on | a attendu | he/she/we waited |
| nous | avons attendu | we waited |
| vous | avez attendu | you waited |
| ils / elles | ont attendu | they waited |
J'ai attendu deux heures à l'aéroport, le vol était retardé.
I waited two hours at the airport, the flight was delayed.
On t'a attendu jusqu'à minuit, puis on est parti se coucher.
We waited for you until midnight, then we went to bed.
Past-participle agreement: les heures que j'ai attendues (feminine plural — attendues agrees with the preceding feminine plural direct object les heures).
Plus-que-parfait
avoir (imparfait) + attendu
J'avais attendu sa réponse pendant des semaines avant de finalement la recevoir.
I had waited for her answer for weeks before finally getting it.
Futur antérieur, conditionnel passé, subjonctif passé
avoir (in respective tense) + attendu
Quand tu liras ce message, j'aurai déjà attendu une heure de plus.
By the time you read this message, I'll have already waited another hour.
The four core uses
1. Wait (no object): the basic intransitive sense
Used alone or with a time expression. No object required.
Attends ! J'arrive dans deux minutes.
Wait! I'll be there in two minutes.
J'ai attendu longtemps, mais finalement il est arrivé.
I waited a long time, but he finally arrived.
2. Wait for X: attendre + direct object (the critical pattern)
Wait for a person, a thing, an event. No preposition.
J'attends Pierre — il devait arriver à huit heures.
I'm waiting for Pierre — he was supposed to arrive at eight.
On attend les résultats de l'examen depuis hier.
We've been waiting for the exam results since yesterday.
Tu attends le métro ou le bus ?
Are you waiting for the metro or the bus?
3. Wait until something happens: attendre que + subjunctive
When the thing you're waiting for is an event (clause), French uses attendre que + subjunctive. The subjunctive is obligatory because the event is hypothetical / not-yet-realized at the time of waiting.
J'attends qu'il fasse beau pour aller à la plage.
I'm waiting for the weather to be nice to go to the beach.
On attend que le film commence — il est presque l'heure.
We're waiting for the film to start — it's almost time.
Il a attendu que tout le monde soit parti pour me parler.
He waited until everyone had left to talk to me.
The fixed expression en attendant que + subjunctive means "while waiting for" / "until":
En attendant qu'on me rappelle, je vais préparer le dîner.
While I'm waiting for them to call me back, I'll start dinner.
4. Expect, anticipate: s'attendre à
The reflexive s'attendre à shifts the meaning from "wait for" to "expect / anticipate." This is a pure idiom — the literal "wait oneself to" makes no sense. S'attendre à takes a noun, an infinitive, or à ce que + subjunctive.
Je m'attendais à un meilleur accueil, franchement.
I was expecting a better welcome, honestly.
On ne s'attendait pas à te voir ici !
We weren't expecting to see you here!
Je m'attends à ce qu'il refuse — il est très têtu.
I expect him to refuse — he's very stubborn.
High-frequency expressions
- attendre son tour — wait one's turn
- attendre un enfant / un bébé — be expecting a child (be pregnant)
- attendre patiemment — wait patiently
- se faire attendre — keep someone waiting (lit. "make oneself awaited")
- en attendant — in the meantime
- en attendant que
- subj — until / while waiting for
- s'attendre à — expect
- s'attendre à ce que
- subj — expect that
- contre toute attente — against all expectations (nominal attente — wait/expectation)
Marie attend un bébé pour le mois de juin — c'est le deuxième.
Marie is expecting a baby in June — it's the second one.
Le ministre s'est encore fait attendre, comme d'habitude.
The minister kept us waiting again, as usual.
Contre toute attente, il a accepté la proposition tout de suite.
Against all expectations, he accepted the offer right away.
Comparison with English
Three friction points:
- No preposition. English "wait FOR" is a phrasal verb; French attendre is a plain transitive. J'attends le bus (not j'attends pour le bus). The most pervasive transfer error in early-stage French.
- No "wait until" with an indicative clause. English allows "I'll wait until he comes." French requires either jusqu'à ce qu'il vienne (with subjunctive) or, more commonly, attendre qu'il vienne (with subjunctive). The clause is always subjunctive because the event is unrealized.
- "Expect" splits into multiple French verbs. S'attendre à covers anticipation ("I expect rain"); attendre covers expecting a thing/person to arrive ("I'm expecting a delivery"); for "expect that someone do something" in the demand sense, use exiger / s'attendre à ce que. English collapses all these into "expect."
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Inserting pour or à before the object. This is THE error.
❌ J'attends pour le bus depuis vingt minutes.
Wrong — attendre takes a direct object, no preposition.
✅ J'attends le bus depuis vingt minutes.
I've been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes.
Mistake 2: Using indicative after attendre que.
❌ J'attends qu'il vient.
Wrong — attendre que requires the subjunctive.
✅ J'attends qu'il vienne.
I'm waiting for him to come.
Mistake 3: Confusing attendre with s'attendre à.
❌ J'attends à un échec.
Wrong — attendre is direct; expectation requires the reflexive s'attendre à.
✅ Je m'attends à un échec.
I expect a failure.
Mistake 4: Mistranslating attendre un bébé as "wait for a baby."
❌ Marie est en train d'attendre un bébé. (literal English: 'Marie is in the process of waiting for a baby')
Awkward — the natural form is simply 'Marie attend un bébé.'
✅ Marie attend un bébé.
Marie is expecting a baby.
Mistake 5: Forgetting past-participle agreement with preceding direct object.
❌ Les heures que j'ai attendu.
Wrong — attendu must agree with preceding feminine plural direct object.
✅ Les heures que j'ai attendues.
The hours I waited.
Key takeaways
Attendre is a regular -re verb — stem attend-, predictable across all paradigms. Auxiliary avoir; participle attendu. The futur and conditional stem is attendr-.
The single most important fact: attendre takes a direct object. J'attends le bus, j'attends Marie, j'attends ta réponse — never with pour, never with à. English "wait FOR" is a phrasal verb that does not transfer.
Three constructions complete the picture. Attendre que + subjunctive ("wait until / wait for X to happen"). En attendant que + subjunctive ("while waiting for"). And the reflexive idiom s'attendre à ("expect / anticipate"), which is a separate verb in meaning despite the shared root. Master the direct-object pattern, the que + subjunctive complement, and s'attendre à — and you have the verb under control for every situation a learner will meet in the first three years of French.
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