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atender

to attend to

verb ah-ten-DEHR Less Common
Communication Responses

Origin: from Latin attendere 'to stretch toward'

Also means

to serve

Usage Note

Atender is a stem-changing verb (e→ie in stressed syllables: atiende). It means to attend to a customer, patient, or request — not to attend an event, which is asistir a. Confusing the two is a common false-friend error for English speakers.

Examples

"El médico atiende a los pacientes."

Natural Translation

The doctor attends to the patients.

Literal Translation

The doctor attends to the patients

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