What it's NOT
attend does NOT translate to atender.
To say "atender" in English, use to serve / to help.
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False cognate · False friend
attend
Does NOT mean atender
It means to go to / be present at
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
attend means to go to / be present at.
Why it's confused
The Latin root "attendere" meant to pay attention. Spanish "atender" drifted toward answering or looking after someone. English "attend" took the sense of being present at a place or event.
How it's pronounced
attenda-TÉND
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Examples of correct use
English
She attended the conference.
Spanish
Ella asistió a la conferencia.
English
Over 200 people attended the wedding.
Spanish
Más de 200 personas asistieron a la boda.
A trick to remember it
Attend = to go to/be present at. To serve or help someone (Spanish "atender") = serve/help.
Mini quiz
"I attended the class" means...
Frequently asked questions
What does "attend" mean in English?
"Attend" means "to go to / be present at". It looks a lot like "atender", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "atender" in English?
To say "atender" in English, use "to serve / to help". If you use "attend" instead, you would actually be saying "to go to / be present at".
Do "attend" and "atender" mean the same thing?
The Latin root "attendere" meant to pay attention. Spanish "atender" drifted toward answering or looking after someone. English "attend" took the sense of being present at a place or event.
Other confusing false friends
More confusing false friends
Library, embarrassed, actually... the full list of words that look the same but mean something different.
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