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fluentbyear

FRENCH VERB

patienter

to wait (patiently)

  • #433 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: patienté
  • Present participle: patientant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I wait
  2. tu you wait
  3. il, elle, on he/she waits
  4. nous we wait
  5. vous you wait
  6. ils, elles they wait

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I waited
  2. tu you waited
  3. il, elle, on he/she waited
  4. nous we waited
  5. vous you waited
  6. ils, elles they waited

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to wait
  2. tu you used to wait
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to wait
  4. nous we used to wait
  5. vous you used to wait
  6. ils, elles they used to wait

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will wait
  2. tu you will wait
  3. il, elle, on he/she will wait
  4. nous we will wait
  5. vous you will wait
  6. ils, elles they will wait

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would wait
  2. tu you would wait
  3. il, elle, on he/she would wait
  4. nous we would wait
  5. vous you would wait
  6. ils, elles they would wait

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I wait
  2. tu (that) you wait
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she wait
  4. nous (that) we wait
  5. vous (that) you wait
  6. ils, elles (that) they wait

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu wait!
  2. nous wait! (let’s)
  3. vous wait! (plural, or formal)

How to use patienter

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Je patiente depuis vingt minutes devant le guichet.

    I've been waiting for twenty minutes at the counter.

  2. Past

    On a patienté une heure sous la pluie pour entrer.

    We waited an hour in the rain to get in.

  3. Imperfect

    Les clients patientaient dehors, le magasin était plein.

    The customers were waiting outside, the shop was full.

  4. Future

    Vous patienterez quelques minutes, le docteur termine.

    You'll wait a few minutes, the doctor is finishing.

  5. Conditional

    Tu patienterais une heure pour une glace ?

    Would you wait an hour for an ice cream?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que vous patientiez, votre table n'est pas prête.

    You'll have to wait, your table isn't ready.

  7. Imperative

    Patientez un instant, je vous passe ma collègue.

    Hold on a moment, I'll put you through to my colleague.

Good to know

  • Patienter is the polite wait of offices and phone lines : merci de patienter. With friends, attendre.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -er verb.