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B1 noun 8 Min. Lesezeit

l'impatience

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At the A1 level, you likely know the word 'patience.' 'L'impatience' is simply the opposite. It is a noun that describes the feeling when you don't want to wait. You might use it in very simple sentences like 'J'ai de l'impatience' (though 'Je suis impatient' is more common). At this stage, focus on recognizing the word when you see it in a story or hear a teacher say it. It starts with a vowel, so we use 'l' instead of 'la'. It's a 'feeling' word. You might hear a parent say 'Pas d'impatience !' to a child who wants a candy right now. It is a good word to know to express basic emotions about waiting for lunch, for a friend, or for a toy. Remember, it's about the feeling of 'I want it now!'

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At the A2 level, you can start using 'l'impatience' in more structured sentences. You should learn the common phrase 'avec impatience.' For example, 'J'attends mon anniversaire avec impatience' (I am looking forward to my birthday with impatience/eagerly). You are moving beyond just naming the feeling to describing how you do an action. You should also recognize that it is a feminine noun, which helps you with adjective agreement, like 'une petite impatience.' You can use it to describe people in simple past or present tenses: 'Il avait beaucoup d'impatience.' This word helps you add more detail to your descriptions of people's characters and reactions in everyday situations like traveling or shopping.

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At the B1 level, you are expected to use 'l'impatience' to describe more complex situations and emotions. You should be able to discuss the consequences of impatience, such as 'L'impatience est souvent la cause d'accidents' (Impatience is often the cause of accidents). You can use it in the context of work, health, and social interactions. You should also be familiar with related verbs like 's'impatienter' (to become impatient). At this level, you can use the word to express nuances: is the impatience due to excitement or anger? You can also start using more sophisticated adjectives with it, like 'une impatience croissante' (a growing impatience). This word is key for the B1 exam when you have to describe your feelings about a future event or a problem you encountered while waiting for a service.

At the B2 level, you should have a firm grasp of 'l'impatience' in various registers. You should know idiomatic expressions like 'brûler d'impatience' and be able to use them naturally in writing and speaking. You can analyze the concept of impatience in a more abstract way, perhaps in an essay about the 'société de l'instantané' (instant society). You should understand the difference between 'l'impatience' and similar words like 'la hâte' or 'l'agitation.' Your vocabulary should include collocations like 'tromper son impatience' (to distract oneself from one's impatience). You can also use the word in formal correspondence to strike the right tone, knowing when 'avec impatience' is appropriate and when it might sound too demanding or informal.

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At the C1 level, you use 'l'impatience' with precision and stylistic flair. You can use it to describe subtle psychological states in literary analysis or complex social phenomena. You are aware of the plural form 'les impatiences' and its specific medical or physical connotations. You can use the word in complex sentence structures, such as 'C'est avec une impatience non dissimulée que le public a accueilli la nouvelle.' You understand the historical and philosophical nuances of the word—how impatience has been viewed as a vice in classical literature or a driving force in modern innovation. You can use it to create tone and atmosphere in your creative writing, using it as a motif for a character's internal unrest or a society's desire for revolution.

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At the C2 level, you have a near-native command of 'l'impatience.' You can play with the word, using it in puns, metaphors, or highly formal academic discourse. You understand its deepest etymological roots and how they influence its current semantic field. You can discuss the word's role in French existentialist thought or its use in the poetry of Baudelaire or Rimbaud. You can effortlessly switch between the colloquial use of the concept and its most abstract philosophical applications. You are sensitive to the rhythmic qualities of the word in a sentence and can use it to achieve specific rhetorical effects. Your mastery allows you to use 'l'impatience' to express the most delicate shades of human experience, from the 'impatience du cœur' to the 'impatience de la raison.'

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l'impatience in 30 Sekunden

L'impatience is a feminine noun meaning a lack of patience or a state of restless anticipation.
It is commonly used with the preposition 'avec' (avec impatience) to mean 'eagerly.'
The word can describe both negative irritation and positive excitement depending on the context.
Be careful not to confuse it with the adjective 'impatient' or the medical plural 'impatiences.'

The French noun l'impatience is a fundamental term used to describe the inability to wait calmly for something to happen or the state of being restless due to anticipation. While it shares a direct cognate with the English word 'impatience,' its usage in French often carries a broader emotional spectrum, ranging from the negative irritation of a commuter stuck in traffic to the positive, bubbling excitement of a child awaiting a holiday. In the French mindset, l'impatience is frequently linked to the passage of time and the internal struggle one has with the pace of life. It is not merely an absence of patience; it is a proactive, often physical sensation of wanting the future to arrive immediately. You will find this word used in medical contexts to describe physical restlessness (like 'restless leg syndrome' known as impatiences in the plural), in romantic literature to describe the fervor of lovers, and in daily mundane conversation about the arrival of a bus or a delivery.

Emotional State: It denotes a lack of emotional self-control when faced with delays or obstacles.
Eagerness: It can also signify a positive, intense desire to start an activity or meet someone.
Physical Manifestation: Often associated with fidgeting, tapping, or the inability to remain still.

Son impatience était visible alors qu'il tapotait nerveusement sur la table.

Understanding l'impatience requires recognizing its relationship with the French verb patienter (to wait patiently). While English speakers might simply say 'I can't wait,' French speakers often use phrases like 'Je brûle d'impatience' (I am burning with impatience) to convey a much higher intensity of emotion. This word is a pillar in discussing human temperament and is essential for reaching a B1 level of proficiency, as it allows you to describe complex internal states beyond simple happiness or sadness. It is a word of movement, of transition, and of the friction between the present moment and a desired future.

L'attente prolongée a fini par transformer sa curiosité en impatience.

Grammatically, l'impatience is a feminine noun. It is most commonly preceded by the definite article l' (because it starts with a vowel) or a possessive adjective like mon, ton, son. When using it in a sentence, you will often find it coupled with verbs that describe possession or manifestation, such as avoir, montrer, manifester, or dissimuler. For example, 'Il a du mal à cacher son impatience' (He has trouble hiding his impatience). It is also frequently used in prepositional phrases like avec impatience, which functions as an adverbial phrase meaning 'eagerly' or 'impatiently.' This is one of the most common ways you will encounter the word in correspondence, such as 'J'attends votre réponse avec impatience' (I look forward to your reply).

As a Subject: L'impatience peut mener à des erreurs regrettables.
As an Object: Elle ne supporte pas l'impatience des clients impolis.
In Prepositional Phrases: Nous attendons les vacances avec une grande impatience.

Malgré son impatience, elle a dû attendre son tour comme tout le monde.

In literary or more formal contexts, you might see the phrase brûler d'impatience de + infinitive. This is a powerful construction to express that someone is extremely eager to do something. For example, 'Je brûle d'impatience de te revoir' (I am dying to see you again). Conversely, in a professional setting, you might mention l'impatience of a market or a group of stakeholders to describe a demand for rapid results. The versatility of the word allows it to move from the intimate sphere of personal feelings to the objective sphere of social and economic pressures. Pay attention to how the intensity is modified by adjectives such as vive, folle, or fébrile.

L'acteur ressentait une impatience fébrile avant de monter sur scène.

You will hear l'impatience in a variety of real-life settings in France and other French-speaking countries. In a family setting, a parent might scold a child by saying, 'Calme ton impatience !' (Calm down / Curb your impatience!). In the workplace, during a long meeting that seems to be going nowhere, you might observe un vent d'impatience (a wind of impatience) blowing through the room as colleagues start to check their watches or shuffle their papers. It is a word that captures the social friction of waiting, which is a common theme in French culture, whether it's waiting for the 'note' (bill) at a café or waiting for the results of a national exam.

Public Transport: When a train is delayed, the collective impatience of the commuters is palpable.
Customer Service: Service staff often have to manage the impatience of clients during peak hours.
Media and News: Journalists often report on 'l'impatience des électeurs' regarding political promises.

On sentait une certaine impatience monter dans la file d'attente.

Furthermore, in the world of sports, commentators frequently mention l'impatience of a young player who makes a mistake because they were too eager to score or to make a play. In the culinary world, a chef might speak of the impatience of the guests waiting for a signature dish. Even in pop music, lyrics often revolve around the impatience of love or the desire for change. It is a word that resonates because it describes a universal human condition: the tension between the 'now' and the 'next.' When you listen to French podcasts or watch the news (like 'Le Journal de 20h'), listen for how they use this noun to characterize the public mood during strikes or elections.

Les supporters manifestent leur impatience face aux mauvais résultats de l'équipe.

One of the most frequent mistakes English speakers make is confusing the noun l'impatience with the adjective impatient. In English, we often use the adjective ('I am impatient'), but in French, while 'Je suis impatient' is correct, people often use the noun in descriptive contexts where English might prefer an adjective. Another common error is the gender of the word. Since it begins with a vowel, the article l' hides the gender, leading many students to assume it is masculine. It is feminine: la patience, l'impatience. This becomes important when you add an adjective: 'une grande impatience,' not 'un grand impatience.'

Gender Confusion: Mistaking it for masculine because of the 'l'' elision. It is always feminine.
Preposition Errors: Saying 'avec d'impatience' instead of the correct 'avec impatience' (no partitive article needed here).
Word Order: Misplacing 'avec impatience' in a sentence; it usually follows the verb.

Faux: C'est un impatience insupportable. Vrai: C'est une impatience insupportable.

Additionally, learners sometimes struggle with the plural form les impatiences. In English, 'impatiences' is rarely used, but in French, as mentioned, it has a specific medical connotation regarding restless limbs. Using the plural when you mean the general feeling of being impatient can sound strange to a native speaker. Also, be careful with the verb attendre. You 'attends avec impatience' (wait with impatience), you do not 'attends pour l'impatience.' Finally, avoid the literal translation of 'I have impatience.' While 'J'ai de l'impatience' is grammatically possible, it is much more natural to say 'Je suis impatient' or 'Je manifeste de l'impatience.'

Faux: J'attends ton retour par impatience. Vrai: J'attends ton retour avec impatience.

While l'impatience is the most direct term, French offers a rich vocabulary for similar states of mind. Depending on the context, you might want to use a word that is more precise. For instance, if the impatience is specifically about wanting to do something quickly, la hâte (haste) might be more appropriate. If it involves a physical or nervous agitation, l'agitation or l'énervement could be used. For a more positive, eager anticipation, l'empressement suggests a keenness to serve or to act. Understanding these nuances will help you move from a basic B1 level to a more sophisticated B2 or C1 level of expression.

La Hâte: Refers to speed and rushing. 'J'ai hâte de...' means 'I'm looking forward to...'
L'Énervement: Focuses on the irritation or annoyance that often accompanies impatience.
L'Anticipation: A more neutral or cognitive term for looking forward to something.

Son empressement à nous aider contrastait avec son impatience habituelle.

In contrast, the antonyms of l'impatience provide a glimpse into the valued French trait of la patience. Other related terms include le calme, la sérénité, and la résignation. If someone is being very patient in a difficult situation, you might say they show du stoïcisme. When comparing these words, remember that l'impatience is often seen as a lack of maîtrise de soi (self-control). In a professional email, if you want to sound polite while waiting for something, you might avoid the word 'impatience' and instead use 'Je reste dans l'attente de...' to sound more patient and formal.

Plutôt que de montrer de l'impatience, il a fait preuve d'une grande sérénité.

How Formal Is It?

Wusstest du?

The word originally had a more physical meaning of 'inability to suffer' before evolving into the psychological state of 'not wanting to wait.'

Aussprachehilfe

UK /ɛ̃.pa.sjɑ̃s/

US /æm.pæ.sjɑns/

In French, the stress is evenly distributed, with a slight emphasis on the final syllable 'sance'.

Reimt sich auf

patience conscience défiance confiance science alliance ambiance croissance

Häufige Fehler

Pronouncing the 'm' in 'im' (it should be nasal).
Pronouncing the final 'e' (it is silent).
Using an English 'sh' sound for 'ti' (it should be an 's' sound).
Making the 'pa' sound like 'pay'.
Forgetting to make the 'an' sound nasal.

Schwierigkeitsgrad

Lesen 2/5

Easy to recognize due to English cognate.

Schreiben 3/5

Requires knowledge of gender and nasal sounds.

Sprechen 4/5

Nasal vowels and 'ti' as 's' can be tricky.

Hören 3/5

Clear sound but can be missed in fast speech.

Was du als Nächstes lernen solltest

Voraussetzungen

patience attendre vouloir temps sentiment

Als Nächstes lernen

s'impatienter hâte empressement calmer déception

Fortgeschritten

stoïcisme fébrilité tarauder concupiscence ataraxie

Wichtige Grammatik

Nasal vowels (in/im)

The 'im' in impatience is pronounced like the 'in' in 'vin'.

Elision with 'l''

Use l'impatience instead of la impatience because it starts with a vowel.

Adjective placement and agreement

Une vive impatience (adjective 'vive' is feminine and often precedes the noun for emphasis).

Preposition 'avec' for adverbs

Using 'avec' + abstract noun to create an adverbial meaning (eagerly).

The suffix '-ence'

Common suffix for feminine abstract nouns derived from adjectives (impatient -> impatience).

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Beispiele nach Niveau

L'impatience est difficile.

Impatience is difficult.

Note the use of 'L'' before a vowel.

Elle a de l'impatience.

She has [some] impatience.

Use of the partitive article 'de l''.

Pas d'impatience, s'il vous plaît.

No impatience, please.

Common imperative phrase.

Mon impatience grandit.

My impatience is growing.

Possessive adjective 'mon' with a feminine noun starting with a vowel.

C'est une grande impatience.

It is a great impatience.

Adjective agreement (grande).

L'impatience de l'enfant est mignonne.

The child's impatience is cute.

Genitive construction with 'de'.

J'aime son impatience.

I like his/her impatience.

Possessive 'son' can be his or her.

L'impatience s'arrête ici.

Impatience stops here.

Simple present tense.

J'attends le train avec impatience.

I am waiting for the train with impatience.

The adverbial phrase 'avec impatience'.

Elle ne cache pas son impatience.

She does not hide her impatience.

Negation with 'ne... pas'.

Son impatience est un problème.

His/her impatience is a problem.

Subject-verb-complement structure.

Nous lisons votre lettre avec impatience.

We are reading your letter with impatience.

Present tense with 'nous'.

Pourquoi tant d'impatience ?

Why so much impatience?

Use of 'tant de' for quantity.

L'impatience des voyageurs est normale.

The travelers' impatience is normal.

Plural possessive 'des voyageurs'.

Il montre son impatience par des gestes.

He shows his impatience through gestures.

Preposition 'par'.

Une vive impatience se faisait sentir.

A sharp impatience was being felt.

Pronominal verb 'se faire'.

L'impatience peut gâcher un bon moment.

Impatience can ruin a good moment.

Modal verb 'peut'.

Gérez votre impatience pour réussir.

Manage your impatience to succeed.

Imperative 'gérez'.

Elle a agi par impatience.

She acted out of impatience.

Preposition 'par' meaning 'out of'.

L'impatience du public était palpable.

The audience's impatience was palpable.

Adjective 'palpable'.

Je comprends votre impatience face aux délais.

I understand your impatience regarding the delays.

Prepositional phrase 'face aux'.

L'impatience est un vilain défaut.

Impatience is a bad flaw.

Common French proverb structure.

Il a réprimé un mouvement d'impatience.

He suppressed a movement of impatience.

Past tense 'a réprimé'.

L'impatience nous pousse à faire des erreurs.

Impatience pushes us to make mistakes.

Verb 'pousser à'.

Je brûle d'impatience de découvrir les résultats.

I am burning with impatience to discover the results.

Idiomatic expression 'brûler d'impatience de'.

L'impatience des marchés financiers inquiète.

The impatience of the financial markets is worrying.

Abstract usage in economics.

Son impatience trahissait son manque de maturité.

His impatience betrayed his lack of maturity.

Imperfect tense for description.

Calmer l'impatience des troupes est crucial.

Calming the troops' impatience is crucial.

Infinitive as subject.

Elle luttait contre une impatience grandissante.

She was struggling against a growing impatience.

Present participle as adjective.

L'impatience est le propre de la jeunesse.

Impatience is characteristic of youth.

Expression 'le propre de'.

Il ne faut pas confondre hâte et impatience.

One must not confuse haste and impatience.

Verb 'confondre'.

L'impatience dévorante l'empêchait de dormir.

The consuming impatience prevented him from sleeping.

Strong adjective 'dévorante'.

L'impatience est l'ennemie de la réflexion.

Impatience is the enemy of reflection.

Philosophical aphorism.

Elle manifestait une impatience fébrile.

She manifested a feverish impatience.

Sophisticated adjective 'fébrile'.

L'impatience de la plume se ressent dans ses écrits.

The impatience of the pen is felt in his writings.

Metaphorical usage.

On ne saurait blâmer son impatience légitime.

One cannot blame his legitimate impatience.

Formal 'on ne saurait' construction.

L'impatience historique conduit aux révolutions.

Historical impatience leads to revolutions.

Sociological context.

Il a trompé son impatience en marchant.

He distracted his impatience by walking.

Expression 'tromper son impatience'.

L'impatience du cœur est un thème récurrent.

The impatience of the heart is a recurring theme.

Literary reference.

Sa réponse fut dictée par l'impatience.

His response was dictated by impatience.

Passive voice with 'fut'.

L'impatience métaphysique de l'homme face au néant.

Man's metaphysical impatience in the face of nothingness.

Highly abstract/philosophical.

L'œuvre souffre d'une certaine impatience créatrice.

The work suffers from a certain creative impatience.

Artistic critique.

D'où vient cette impatience qui nous taraude ?

Where does this impatience that gnaws at us come from?

Literary verb 'tarauder'.

L'impatience est le symptôme d'une époque pressée.

Impatience is the symptom of a hurried era.

Cultural commentary.

Elle a accueilli la nouvelle avec une impatience mal contenue.

She received the news with ill-contained impatience.

Nuanced adjective 'mal contenue'.

L'impatience de l'esprit ne tolère aucune entrave.

The impatience of the mind tolerates no obstacles.

Formal negation 'aucune'.

Sous l'impatience apparente se cachait une peur profonde.

Under the apparent impatience lay a deep fear.

Inversion for stylistic effect.

L'impatience est la rançon de notre désir d'absolu.

Impatience is the price of our desire for the absolute.

Metaphorical 'rançon'.

Häufige Kollokationen

vive impatience

attendre avec impatience

montrer de l'impatience

cacher son impatience

mouvement d'impatience

vent d'impatience

impatience croissante

freiner son impatience

tromper son impatience

signe d'impatience

Häufige Phrasen

Avec impatience

— Eagerly or looking forward to.

J'attends ta réponse avec impatience.

Brûler d'impatience

— To be extremely eager or dying to do something.

Je brûle d'impatience de te voir.

Manifester de l'impatience

— To show that one is getting impatient.

Le public manifeste de l'impatience.

Perdre patience / céder à l'impatience

— To lose one's cool and become impatient.

Il a fini par céder à l'impatience.

Une impatience fébrile

— A state of nervous, intense waiting.

Il y avait une impatience fébrile dans l'air.

L'impatience vous gagne

— Impatience is taking over you.

Je sens que l'impatience vous gagne.

Calmer l'impatience

— To soothe or reduce the feeling of waiting.

Ses paroles ont calmé mon impatience.

Par pure impatience

— Out of sheer impatience.

Il a fait une erreur par pure impatience.

L'impatience de la jeunesse

— The natural eagerness associated with being young.

C'est l'impatience de la jeunesse, rien de plus.

Trahir son impatience

— To accidentally show that one is impatient.

Ses doigts qui tambourinent trahissent son impatience.

Wird oft verwechselt mit

l'impatience vs impatient

This is the adjective. Use it to describe a person (Je suis impatient), whereas l'impatience is the feeling (J'ai de l'impatience).

l'impatience vs la hâte

Hâte refers to rushing or speed, while impatience is the emotional state of not wanting to wait.

l'impatience vs l'attente

L'attente is the act of waiting itself, which may or may not include impatience.

Redewendungen & Ausdrücke

"Brûler d'impatience"

— To be in a state of intense desire for something to happen immediately.

Les enfants brûlent d'impatience d'ouvrir leurs cadeaux.

Standard

"L'impatience est un mauvais conseiller"

— Acting too quickly out of impatience leads to mistakes.

Prends ton temps, l'impatience est un mauvais conseiller.

Proverbial

"Avoir des fourmis dans les jambes"

— Related to 'les impatiences' (physical restlessness); needing to move.

J'ai des fourmis dans les jambes à force d'attendre.

Informal

"Ne pas tenir en place"

— To be so impatient or excited that one cannot sit still.

Depuis ce matin, il ne tient pas en place d'impatience.

Neutral

"Être sur des charbons ardents"

— To be on pins and needles; waiting anxiously.

Elle est sur des charbons ardents en attendant les résultats.

Idiomatic

"Compter les minutes"

— To be extremely impatient for something to end or begin.

Je compte les minutes avec impatience.

Neutral

"L'impatience du cœur"

— A deep, emotional longing or restlessness.

C'est l'impatience du cœur qui le guide.

Literary

"Bouillir d'impatience"

— To be seething with impatience.

Il bouillait d'impatience dans la salle d'attente.

Informal

"Dévoré par l'impatience"

— To be completely consumed by the feeling of waiting.

Il est dévoré par l'impatience de partir.

Literary

"L'attente est un supplice"

— Waiting is torture (often said when impatient).

Pour lui, chaque minute d'impatience est un supplice.

Expressive

Leicht verwechselbar

l'impatience vs Empressement

Both involve eagerness.

Empressement is usually positive and involves a keenness to do something for someone else, while impatience is more about one's own internal tension.

Il nous a reçus avec empressement (positive) vs Il nous a reçus avec impatience (he wanted us to leave).

l'impatience vs Énervement

Both involve agitation.

Énervement is specifically about irritation or being 'annoyed,' whereas impatience is specifically about the 'wait.'

Son énervement venait du bruit, pas de l'impatience.

l'impatience vs Précipitation

Both involve doing things quickly.

Précipitation is the physical act of rushing and making mistakes because of it; impatience is the feeling that leads to it.

Il a agi avec précipitation à cause de son impatience.

l'impatience vs Anxiété

Both involve a sense of unease about the future.

Anxiété is fear-based, while impatience is desire-based or irritation-based.

Son impatience de voyager n'est pas de l'anxiété.

l'impatience vs Anticipation

Both look toward the future.

Anticipation is a neutral or technical term for expecting something; impatience is the emotional weight of that expectation.

L'anticipation d'un problème vs l'impatience d'un cadeau.

Satzmuster

C'est + [article] + impatience.

C'est une impatience.

J'attends + [noun] + avec impatience.

J'attends le dessert avec impatience.

Son impatience + [verb] + [complement].

Son impatience agace ses amis.

Il y a + [quantity] + d'impatience.

Il y a beaucoup d'impatience.

Brûler d'impatience de + [infinitive].

Elle brûle d'impatience de partir.

L'impatience de + [noun] + est + [adjective].

L'impatience du public est visible.

C'est par + impatience + que + [clause].

C'est par impatience qu'il a répondu.

L'impatience + [relative clause] + [verb].

L'impatience qui l'habitait le dévorait.

Wortfamilie

Substantive

la patience

l'impatience

l'impatient (person)

Verben

patienter

s'impatienter

Adjektive

patient

impatient

Verwandt

hâtif

pressé

agité

nerveux

fébrile

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So verwendest du es

frequency

High, especially in written correspondence and describing emotional reactions.

Häufige Fehler

Je suis impatience. → Je suis impatient / J'ai de l'impatience.
You cannot 'be' the noun; you must either use the adjective or say you 'have' the feeling.
Un grand impatience. → Une grande impatience.
Impatience is feminine, so the article and adjective must match.
J'attends pour impatience. → J'attends avec impatience.
The correct preposition to express 'eagerly' is 'avec.'
Il s'impatiente de moi. → Il s'impatiente contre moi / Il perd patience avec moi.
The verb 's'impatienter' usually takes 'contre' or is used alone.
Pronouncing the 't' as a hard 'T'. → Pronouncing it as an 'S'.
The 'ti' in 'impatience' is a soft 's' sound in French.

Tipps

Gender Check

Always treat 'impatience' as feminine. Even though the 'l'' makes it look neutral, your adjectives must be feminine: 'une impatience folle.'

Email Etiquette

Use 'avec impatience' to show enthusiasm in professional follow-ups, but don't use it if you are actually angry about a delay; it might sound sarcastic.

Verb Connection

Connect the noun to the verb 's'imparentier' (to become impatient). 'Il s'impatiente' means 'He is getting impatient.'

Nasal Power

The first syllable 'im' is a nasal vowel. Don't let your lips close for the 'm'; keep the sound in your nose.

Social Context

In France, showing impatience in public is often frowned upon. Using the word to describe yourself is a way of acknowledging a lack of self-control.

Vivid Descriptions

Use adjectives like 'fébrile,' 'grandissante,' or 'mal contenue' to make your descriptions of impatience more vivid.

Identify the Root

If you hear 'patient,' listen for the prefix 'im-' or the suffix '-ence' to distinguish between the person, the quality, or the lack thereof.

The 'In' Rule

Remember that 'in-' or 'im-' in French often means 'not.' So, im-patience is 'not-patience.'

Burning Desire

Memorize 'brûler d'impatience.' It's a high-level phrase that native speakers love and it makes you sound very fluent.

Medical Note

If you see 'les impatiences' in a health context, it's about legs, not feelings. This is a very specific but useful distinction.

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Think of an 'IM-portive' person who can't wait for 'PATIENCE'. The 'IM' negates the 'PATIENCE'.

Visuelle Assoziation

Imagine a person tapping their foot so fast it creates sparks—that's the 'fire' of 'l'impatience'.

Word Web

Time Waiting Restlessness Eagerness Agitation Desire Emotion Reaction

Herausforderung

Write three things you wait for 'avec impatience' every year.

Wortherkunft

Derived from the Latin 'impatientia', which is formed from the prefix 'in-' (not) and 'patientia' (patience/endurance). It entered Old French in the 12th century.

Ursprüngliche Bedeutung: The inability to endure suffering or hardship without complaining.

Romance (Latin-based).

Kultureller Kontext

Be careful when using 'impatience' to describe a person's character; it can be perceived as a criticism of their maturity.

In English, we say 'I can't wait,' which is more active. French uses the noun 'impatience' to describe the state itself.

Stefan Zweig's famous novel 'L'Impatience du cœur' (Beware of Pity). The phrase 'L'impatience est une vertu des gagnants' (Impatience is a virtue of winners) in modern business contexts. The medical term 'syndrome des impatiences' (Restless Leg Syndrome).

Im Alltag üben

Kontexte aus dem Alltag

At the station

Le train a du retard, l'impatience monte.
Regarder sa montre avec impatience.
Gérer l'impatience des passagers.
Un signe d'impatience collectif.

Writing an email

Dans l'attente de vous lire avec impatience.
Je vous écris pour dire mon impatience.
Ne voyez aucune impatience dans ma relance.
Avec une impatience non dissimulée.

With children

Calme ton impatience.
L'impatience de Noël.
C'est l'impatience qui te fait pleurer.
Apprendre à maîtriser son impatience.

In a relationship

Brûler d'impatience de se voir.
L'impatience du premier rendez-vous.
Son impatience me fait peur.
L'impatience de l'amour.

Medical setting

Souffrir d'impatiences dans les jambes.
Une impatience nerveuse.
L'impatience liée au stress.
Calmer les impatiences nocturnes.

Gesprächseinstiege

"Quelle est la chose que vous attendez avec le plus d'impatience en ce moment ?"

"Pensez-vous que l'impatience est toujours un défaut ou peut-elle être une force ?"

"Comment gérez-vous votre impatience quand vous êtes dans une file d'attente ?"

"Est-ce que l'impatience des gens a augmenté avec les réseaux sociaux ?"

"Avez-vous déjà fait une grosse erreur par pure impatience ?"

Tagebuch-Impulse

Décrivez une situation où votre impatience a pris le dessus. Qu'avez-vous ressenti physiquement ?

Réfléchissez à la phrase : 'L'impatience est un mauvais conseiller.' Êtes-vous d'accord ?

Écrivez une lettre imaginaire à quelqu'un que vous attendez avec une grande impatience.

Comment la société moderne encourage-t-elle l'impatience selon vous ?

Imaginez un monde où l'impatience n'existerait plus. À quoi ressemblerait la vie ?

Häufig gestellte Fragen

10 Fragen

It is feminine (la patience, l'impatience). You can remember this because most French nouns ending in -ence are feminine.

The most natural way is 'J'ai hâte !' However, you can also say 'Je suis impatient' or 'J'attends avec impatience.'

It literally means 'to burn with impatience' and is used to express that you are extremely eager to do or see something.

Yes, 'les impatiences' exists, but it usually refers to a physical tingling or restless sensation in the legs, often a medical symptom.

'Impatient' is an adjective (e.g., Un homme impatient), and 'impatience' is a noun (e.g., L'impatience de cet homme).

It is always 'avec impatience' when used as an adverbial phrase. You don't need the partitive article 'de' in this specific construction.

Yes! If you are waiting for a loved one or a gift, 'l'impatience' describes a positive, excited state of anticipation.

In this word, 'ti' is pronounced like 'si' in 'six' or 's' in 'see.' It is not a 't' sound and not a 'sh' sound.

'Hâte' is very common, as in the phrase 'avoir hâte de...'

Yes, it is often used in the closing of emails: 'Dans l'attente de votre réponse que j'espère avec impatience...' (though this is slightly enthusiastic).

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writing

Write a sentence using 'avec impatience' to describe waiting for a friend.

Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.

Uses the common adverbial phrase correctly.