How to Say ‘I am waiting for’ in French
J'attends
zh ah-TAHN
[zh ah-TAHN]
💬 Usage Tip: From attendre. The apostrophe appears because je becomes j' before a vowel: j'attends.
🇫🇷 In France: Parents often say j'attends ma fille / mon fils at pickup time—very natural and common.
Phrase Breakdown
J'
[zh]
I
Shortened form of 'je' before a vowel sound.
J' attends mon fils devant la grille.
I am waiting for my son in front of the gate.
attends
[ah-TAHN]
am waiting / wait
From the verb 'attendre'; with 'j'' it means 'I am waiting'.
J'attends depuis cinq minutes.
I have been waiting for five minutes.
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