attendere

Both 'attendere' and 'aspettare' mean 'to wait' in Italian, but they have subtle differences in usage. 'Aspettare' is the more common and general verb for 'to wait' in everyday conversation. For example, 'Aspetto l'autobus' (I'm waiting for the bus). 'Attendere' often implies a more formal or patient waiting, sometimes with a sense of expectation or anticipation. It's also used in more specific contexts like official communications or when waiting for a response or an event to unfold. For example, 'Attendo una sua risposta' (I await your reply).

Yes, you can use 'attendere' when waiting for a person, but it can sound a bit more formal than 'aspettare'. For instance, 'Attendo il mio amico' (I'm waiting for my friend) is grammatically correct, but 'Aspetto il mio amico' is much more common. 'Attendere' might be used if you're waiting for someone in a more official capacity, like 'Attendiamo l'arrivo del professore' (We are awaiting the professor's arrival).

'Attendere' is primarily a transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object. You 'attend' something or someone. For example, 'Attendo un pacco' (I'm waiting for a package). While it can sometimes be used intransitively in very specific or archaic contexts, for learners, it's best to think of it as transitive.

The past participle of 'attendere' is 'atteso'. This is an irregular past participle. You'll use it to form compound tenses like the passato prossimo: 'Ho atteso a lungo' (I waited for a long time).

Here's the present tense conjugation for 'attendere':

• io attendo (I wait)
• tu attendi (you wait - informal)
• lui/lei attende (he/she waits)
• noi attendiamo (we wait)
• voi attendete (you wait - plural/formal)
• loro attendono (they wait)

No, 'attendere' does not mean 'to attend' in the sense of going to a class or an event. That's a common false friend for English speakers. In Italian, you would use verbs like 'partecipare a' (to participate in) or 'frequentare' (to frequent, for classes). For example, 'Frequento un corso d'italiano' (I attend an Italian course).

While 'attendere' is generally more formal, some common expressions include:

• 'Attendere una risposta' (To await a reply)
• 'Attendere l'esito' (To await the outcome)
• 'Attendere con ansia' (To wait anxiously)

Here's a good example: 'Attendo con impazienza il tuo arrivo.' (I'm waiting impatiently for your arrival.)

You should definitely consider using 'attendere' in more formal writing, official announcements, or when conveying a sense of patient or official anticipation. For example, 'Si prega di attendere in linea' (Please wait on the line - in a formal context like a customer service message) or 'La decisione attende una conferma' (The decision awaits confirmation).

'Attendere' is an irregular verb, specifically in its past participle ('atteso'). Its present tense conjugation is mostly regular for '-ere' verbs, but it's important to remember that irregular past participle.