atender
/ah-tehn-DEHR/
to serve
Atender can mean 'to serve' customers in a restaurant.
atender(verb)
to serve
?waiting on customers
,to attend to
?dealing with a person's needs
to wait on
?restaurant/store
,to care for
?medical context
📝 In Action
¿Quién me atiende aquí?
A2Who is serving me here?
El médico atiende a los pacientes en orden de llegada.
B1The doctor attends to the patients in order of arrival.
Estoy ocupado, no puedo atender el teléfono ahora.
B1I am busy, I can't answer the phone right now.
💡 Grammar Points
Direct Object
When 'atender' means serving a person, the person is the direct object: 'Atiendo al cliente' (I serve the client). The 'a' is the personal 'a'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Atender' and 'Asistir'
Mistake: "Using 'asistir' to mean 'to serve/wait on' (e.g., 'Asistió a la mesa')."
Correction: 'Asistir' usually means 'to attend (an event)' or 'to assist/help.' Use 'atender' for serving customers: 'Atendió la mesa.'
⭐ Usage Tips
Service Focus
Use this meaning whenever you are providing a service, whether physical (like a waiter) or communicative (like answering a phone).
When you atiendes to instructions, you 'pay attention to' them.
atender(verb)
to pay attention to
?advice or instructions
,to heed
?warnings or needs
to take into account
?considering factors
📝 In Action
Si no atiendes a mis consejos, tendrás problemas.
B1If you don't pay attention to my advice, you will have problems.
El gobierno debe atender las necesidades de la población.
B2The government must heed the needs of the population.
Atendiendo a su solicitud, le enviamos la información.
C1Heeding your request, we are sending you the information.
💡 Grammar Points
Use of 'A'
When 'atender' means 'to pay attention to' something non-human (like advice or rules), it often requires the preposition 'a' right after the verb: 'Atender a las reglas.'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Poner' for Attention
Mistake: "Saying 'Pongo atención' (I put attention)."
Correction: While understandable, the common phrase is 'prestar atención.' If you use 'atender,' you don't need 'atención' afterwards: 'Atiendo a la clase' (I pay attention to the class).
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Contexts
This sense is often more formal than 'prestar atención' and is perfect for academic writing or serious discussions.
Atender can also mean 'to deal with' or manage a situation or task, like organizing paperwork.
atender(verb)
to deal with
?managing a situation or task
,to handle
?managing business or matters
to address
?a problem or issue
📝 In Action
Necesitamos atender este problema de inmediato.
B2We need to deal with this problem immediately.
El gerente atiende los reclamos más difíciles.
C1The manager handles the most difficult complaints.
Ella fue contratada para atender la logística del evento.
B2She was hired to deal with the logistics of the event.
💡 Grammar Points
Handling Tasks
This meaning is used when you are actively involved in resolving or managing a situation or piece of work.
⭐ Usage Tips
Professional Use
In a business setting, this is the perfect verb to describe the action of managing or taking care of responsibilities.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: atender
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'atender' in the sense of 'to pay attention to'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'atender' a stem-changing verb?
No, 'atender' is a regular verb. Unlike the similar-sounding verb 'entender' (to understand), 'atender' does not change its vowel (e) to 'ie' in the present tense. It follows the standard pattern for -er verbs.
How is 'atender' different from 'asistir'?
'Atender' focuses on providing a service, managing a task, or paying mental attention. 'Asistir' means 'to attend' (an event, like a class) or 'to assist' (to help someone).