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attend and Spanish atender
In English
attend
to go to / be present at
In Spanish
atender
ayudar, servir
Spanish "atender" means: to serve / to help
Why they get mixed up 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.
If you want to say...
- attendasistir a
- serve a customeratender a un cliente
- pay attentionprestar atención
Examples
She attended the conference.
Ella asistió a la conferencia.
Over 200 people attended the wedding.
Más de 200 personas asistieron a la boda.
Students must attend at least eighty percent of classes.
Los estudiantes deben asistir al menos al ochenta por ciento de las clases.
Will you attend the meeting tomorrow?
¿Vas a asistir a la reunión mañana?
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Voy a atender a la boda de mi prima.
Correct: Voy a asistir a la boda de mi prima.
Atender means to serve or pay attention. To attend an event use asistir a.
Incorrect: Atendí a la reunión ayer.
Correct: Asistí a la reunión ayer.
Atender a la reunión sounds wrong. Asistir a is the correct pair.
Phrases you will hear
- attend a classasistir a clase
- attend a weddingasistir a una boda
- attendanceasistencia
- attend to a problemocuparse de un problema
- regular attendanceasistencia regular
- the attendeeslos asistentes
In a conversation
- A:
Will you attend the meeting?
¿Vas a asistir a la reunión?
- B:
Yes, I'll be there at nine.
Sí, estaré ahí a las nueve.
- A:
Please sign the attendance sheet.
Por favor, firma la hoja de asistencia.
- B:
Sure. I attend every week.
Claro. Asisto todas las semanas.
Test yourself
"I attended the class" means...
To remember it
Attend = to go to/be present at. To serve or help someone (Spanish "atender") = serve/help.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "atender" mean?
Spanish "atender" means "to serve / to help". It looks like the English "attend", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "attend" means "to go to / be present at".
Does English "attend" mean the same as Spanish "atender"?
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.