atendre

Atendre is a verb in Catalan that means to attend to, to take care of, to deal with, or to pay attention to. It is used for providing care or service to people or needs (for example, attending to clients or to a person’s needs) as well as for heeding or considering something (such as paying attention to a signal or instruction). The sense of “to listen to” or “to respond to” a person is common in conversational use, while “to attend to a matter” often appears in formal or administrative contexts.

Etymology and cognates: Atendre derives from Latin atten- from attendere, meaning to stretch toward or to pay attention. It has cognates in other Romance languages, such as Spanish atender. In contrast, the French verb attendre means to wait, a different development that occurred in that language. In Catalan, the primary meanings are centered on care, service, and attention, not waiting.

Usage notes: Atendre governs a direct object representing what is attended to or cared for, or an indirect object when emphasizing the person or matter being attended. It appears in a wide range of registers, from everyday speech to healthcare, customer service, and administration. The verb can combine with prepositional phrases to indicate the aspect of attention or care (for example, attending to someone’s needs, attending to a matter).

See also: Catalan verbs, etymology of atendre, related Romance-language cognates such as atender (Spanish).