Atienden

Atienden is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Spanish verb atender. The verb atender means to attend to, to take care of, or to pay attention to someone or something. It is used for attending to people, tasks, or requests, and can also mean to answer a phone or to receive visitors in a service setting.

Etymology and senses: atender derives from Latin attendere, meaning to stretch toward or to give attention. In Spanish, the sense broadened from paying attention to actively looking after someone, handling a request, or processing a task. The form atienden specifically indicates that the subject is ellos, ellas, or ustedes in the present tense.

Usage notes: Atienden is used with direct or indirect objects, as in “Los médicos atienden a los pacientes” (The doctors attend to the patients) or “La empresa atiende las reclamaciones” (The company attends to complaints). It is common in service environments such as clinics, call centers, tiendas, and offices. In casual speech, it can also appear with phrases like “atienden las dudas” (they address the questions) or “atienden el teléfono” (they answer the phone).

Examples:

- Ellos atienden a los clientes en la tienda.

- El personal atiende las llamadas en el centro de atención.

- La profesora atiende las dudas de los estudiantes.

- Cuando suena el teléfono, la recepcionista atiende.