attendano

Attendano is a verb form in Italian. It is the third-person plural present subjunctive of the verb attendere, which means to wait, to attend to, or to be present at. As a subjunctive form, attendano appears in dependent clauses introduced by che and is used to express wishes, doubts, necessity, possibility, or hypothetical actions. In practice, attendano is primarily found in formal, literary, or ceremonial Italian; in everyday speech speakers more commonly use alternative constructions such as siano presenti or partecipino.

Morphology and usage notes: attendano shares the same stem as attendere (attend-), with the standard present-subjunctive ending for -ere verbs in the third-person plural (-ano). Examples include: È importante che essi attendano all'appuntamento, meaning “It is important that they attend the appointment.” and Spero che i presenti attendano con attenzione, meaning “I hope that those present attend carefully.” The form is known to teachers and students of Italian grammar as a paradigmatic present-subjunctive form.

Etymology and context: attendere derives from Latin attendere, formed with ad- “toward” and tendere “to stretch” and over time developed senses related to paying attention, being present, or attending to something. In Italian, attendano reflects this lineage by functioning primarily in non-indicative, formal contexts.

See also: attendere; congiuntivo presente; Italian subjunctive mood.