attendraient

Attendraient is the third-person plural form of the French verb attendre in the present conditional (conditionnel présent). It expresses a hypothetical action: they would wait. The form is built from the infinitive attendre with the typical conditional endings for ils/elles (-aient), yielding the spelling attendaient in the conditional sense as a single word.

Usage of attendraient centers on hypothetical or contingent situations, polite or tentative statements, and the outcome clause of si-conditional sentences. It is common in both written and spoken French when the speaker contemplates what would happen under certain conditions. For example: “S’ils avaient le temps, ils attendraient le résultat.” or “Ils attendraient le bus s’il n’arrivait pas en retard.” The phrase “Ils n’attendraient pas indéfiniment” conveys a similar sense of limitation or expectation under a condition.

Etymologically, attendraient derives from attendre, itself rooted in the Latin attendere (to stretch toward, await). In everyday use, attendraient contrasts with the imperfect indicative attendaient (they were waiting) and with future forms like attendront (they will wait), highlighting its conditional nuance rather than a straightforward past or future action.

In sum, attendraient marks a hypothetical, conditional waiting by they, and is a standard form for expressing what would occur under specified circumstances in French. It appears across narrative, dialogue, and formal writing as part of the broader conditional mood system.