il attendait

was waiting (for)

→ attendre
attend to wait (for) + ait he/she/it imperfect
verb · third singular · imperfect indicative Common #4,599
was waiting (for) Imperfect tense (ongoing or habitual action in the past).
FR: Elle attendait le bus devant la gare.
EN: She was waiting for the bus in front of the station.
Conjugation of attendre
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First attendions
Second attendiez
Third attendait attendaient

Oui, on attendait votre coup de fil.

Yes, we were expecting your call.

— Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (2007)

Comme on s'y attendait, il a gagné le prix.

As expected, he won the award.

Il attendait le rôle de sa vie dans un bar.

He was waiting for the role of a lifetime in a bar.

— Oh Boy (2012)

Ça a été plus court que ce à quoi il s'attendait.

It was shorter than he expected.

Rick n'était pas vraiment sûr de ce qui l'attendait.

Rick wasn't really sure what awaited him.

— Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Tom attendait Noël avec impatience.

Tom was looking forward to Christmas.

Sa fiancée l'attendait pour aller au cinéma.

His fiancée was waiting for him to go to the cinema.

— Y tu mamá también (2001)

Ma sœur a appelé et on t'attendait.

My sister called, and we were waiting for you.

— Kiki la petite sorcière (1989)

Quand ma belle mère attendait ma sœur, elle a eu un million de cadeaux.

When my mother-in-law was expecting my sister, she received a million gifts.

— Juno (2007)

On aurait dit qu'elle m'attendait.

It seemed like she was waiting for me.

— Malèna (2000)

Bruno attendait dans une horreur absolue.

Bruno waited in absolute horror.

On t'attendait.

We were waiting for you.

— Scream 7 (2026)

Derrière le comptoir, la serveuse attendait les clients.

Behind the counter, the waitress was waiting for customers.

Un comité de bienvenue les attendait à la descente du bus.

A welcoming committee was waiting for them as they got off the bus.

Puis j'ai entendu une voiture dans la rue Je pense que quelqu'un l'attendait.

Then I heard a car in the street. I think someone was waiting for it.

— Suspiria (1977)

Elle m'attendait.

She was waiting for me.

— Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019)

Un jeune homme attendait son tour pour le voir.

A young man was waiting his turn to see him.

Il a aussi dit que quelqu'un nous attendait à Kyoto.

He also said that someone was waiting for us in Kyoto.

— Bullet Train (2022)

On s'y attendait tous, n'est-ce pas?

We all expected it, didn’t we?

Elle s'y attendait.

She expected it.

On attendait que tu passes.

We were expecting you to stop by.

— Do the Right Thing (1989)

On ne s'attendait pas du tout à ça.

We weren’t expecting that at all.

La réaction de Tom fut l'opposé de ce à quoi Marie s'attendait.

Tom's reaction was the opposite of what Marie expected.

Et elle m'attendait toute la nuit.

And she waited for me all night.

— Black (2005)

Une foule immense attendait.

A huge crowd was waiting.

Ted l'attendait depuis longtemps.

Ted had been waiting for him/her/it for a long time.

Devant la porte, un bouquet de fleurs attendait.

A bouquet of flowers was waiting in front of the door.

Personne ne vous vit arriver dans la chambre elle vous attendait.

No one saw you arrive in the room where she was waiting for you.

— L'Accusé (2017)

Tom attendait à l'intérieur.

Tom was waiting inside.

C'est ce que Gusmão attendait.

That's what Gusmão was waiting for.

— Troupe d'Élite (2007)

Il était arrivé avant et nous attendait déjà.

He had arrived earlier and was already waiting for us.

Dan attendait la police.

Dan was waiting for the police.

Elle attendait Favell, mais il n'était pas là.

She was waiting for Favell, but he wasn't there.

— Rebecca (1940)

Ce fut plus court que ce à quoi elle s'attendait.

It was shorter than she expected.

Il attendait son tour.

He was waiting for his turn.

Tom ne m'a pas dit qui il attendait.

Tom didn't tell me who he was waiting for.

Le miracle qu'on attendait s'est produit.

The miracle we were waiting for happened.

— L'Accusé (2017)

Tom attendait avec impatience.

Tom waited impatiently.

Entre, on t'attendait justement.

Come in, we were just waiting for you.

On vous attendait hier soir.

We were expecting you last night.

— Suspiria (1977)

Si on attendait un peu?

What if we waited a little while?

— Il était Temps (2013)

C'était dur pour ta maman quand elle t'attendait.

It was hard for your mother when she was expecting you.

— Le Garçon et le Héron (2023)

Pendant que l'on attendait tu es resté ici à perdre ton temps?

While we were waiting, did you stay here wasting your time?

— Le Retour (2003)

Il a dit qu'il attendait mon retour.

He said he was waiting for my response.

Tom ne s'y attendait pas.

Tom wasn't expecting it.

Joan a toujours vu la mort comme une surprise de plus qui l'attendait.

Joan has always seen death as just another surprise waiting for her.

— Pour l'éternité (2025)

On attendait tous ton prochain album.

We were all waiting for your next album.

— Perfect Blue (1998)

Maria l'attendait, mais il n'est pas venu.

Maria was waiting for him, but he didn’t come.

On s'attendait à ce résultat.

We expected this result.

Une surprise de taille attendait le BND.

A major surprise awaited the BND.

— Qui suis-je (2014)

Tu a fait ce qu'il attendait.

You did what he expected.

— L'Expérience (2001)

Je ne savais pas que Tom m'attendait.

I didn't know Tom was waiting for me.

Ce n'était pas le résultat qu'elle attendait.

It wasn't the result she expected.

Sami attendait qu'on l'appelle.

Sami was waiting for someone to call him.

Nous, on attendait une table.

We were waiting for a table.

— Pinocchio (2019)

Tom attendait à proximité.

Tom was waiting nearby.

Personne ne savait ce qui nous attendait.

No one knew what awaited us.

Je croyais qu'on attendait pour la recoudre.

I thought we were waiting to sew it back up.

— Grave (2017)

Le moment que l'on attendait tous.

The moment we were all waiting for.

— Dangal (2016)

Elle s'attendait à quoi?

What did she expect?

Elle attendait impatiemment un appel.

She was impatiently waiting for a call.

Ce fut plus court que ce à quoi il s'attendait.

It was shorter than he expected.

Te voici enfin, on t'attendait.

Here you are at last, we've been waiting for you.

Une brillante carrière l'attendait.

A brilliant career lay ahead of him.

Personne ne s’attendait à ce qu’une telle chose se produise.

No one expected such a thing to happen.

Il attendait une occasion spéciale.

He was waiting for a special occasion.

— Le Loup de Wall Street (2013)

Tom attendait les nouvelles en retenant son souffle.

Tom waited for the news with bated breath.

On vous attendait tous, Maître Yupa.

We were all waiting for you, Master Yupa.

— Nausicaä de la vallée du vent (1984)

Voici le moment qu'on attendait.

This is the moment we've been waiting for.

— Insaisissables 2 (2016)

Si on attendait?

What if we waited?

— Taxi (1998)

Toute la classe attendait le nouvel instituteur.

The whole class was waiting for the new teacher.

L'avocat attendait Ben.

The lawyer was waiting for Ben.

Ça a été plus court que ce à quoi elle s'attendait.

It was shorter than she expected.

On attendait.

We were waiting.

La traînée attendait donc que son père meure.

The slut was therefore waiting for her father to die.

— Wake Up Dead Man : Une histoire à couteaux tirés (2025)

Beth attendait avec impatience de le voir, mais il ne se montra jamais.

Beth looked forward to seeing him, but he never showed up.

Un terrible destin l'attendait.

A terrible fate awaited him.

C'était tout à fait différent de ce à quoi il s'attendait.

It was completely different from what he expected.

Franck attendait avec plaisir son rendez-vous du soir.

Franck was looking forward to his evening appointment.

C'est ce qu'on attendait.

This is what we expected.

On attendait depuis deux heures quand on me l'envoya.

We had been waiting for two hours when they sent it to me.

— L'Accusé (2017)

Une grosse surprise m'attendait à la maison.

A big surprise was waiting for me at home.

T'as vu le garçon qu'Alexandre attendait depuis le début du film?

Did you see the boy Alexandre had been waiting for since the beginning of the movie?

— La Nuit américaine (1973)

Pietro portait l'uniforme d'une femme de chambre et attendait dehors.

Pietro was wearing a maid’s uniform and waiting outside.

Il attendait.

He was waiting.

Tom attendait là-bas.

Tom was waiting there.

Personne ne l'y attendait.

No one expected them there.

— Les Lundis au soleil (2002)

Tout le monde attendait le dîner avec impatience.

Everyone was eagerly awaiting dinner.

On vous attendait.

We were waiting for you.

— La Vie d'Adèle - Chapitres 1 et 2 (2013)