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impaciente

eem-pah-syen-teh/im.paˈθjen.te/

“impaciente” means “impatient” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

impatient

Also: eager, anxious
Adjectivem or fA2
A person standing by a closed door, tapping their foot and looking at their empty wrist with a frustrated expression.

📝 In Action

Mi hermano es muy impaciente; nunca puede esperar cinco minutos.

A2

My brother is very impatient; he can never wait five minutes.

Estoy impaciente por empezar mis vacaciones.

B1

I am eager to start my vacation.

La multitud se puso impaciente cuando el concierto se retrasó.

B1

The crowd grew impatient when the concert was delayed.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • inquieto (restless)
  • ansioso (anxious)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ponerse impaciente – to get/become impatient
  • estar impaciente por – to be eager to

impatient person

Nounm or fB1
A person at the back of a short line, leaning forward and peering around the others with an annoyed face.

📝 In Action

El impaciente de mi jefe llamó tres veces esta mañana.

B2

That impatient boss of mine called three times this morning.

No seas un impaciente, el pastel necesita tiempo en el horno.

B1

Don't be such an impatient person; the cake needs time in the oven.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • apresurado (someone in a hurry)

Antonyms

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "impaciente" in Spanish:

anxious→eager→impatient→impatient person→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: impaciente

Question 1 of 2

If your friend is naturally an impatient person throughout their whole life, which verb should you use?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
paciencia(patience) — Noun
impaciencia(impatience) — Noun
impacientar(to make someone lose their patience) — Verb
paciente(patient) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'impatiens,' which is a combination of 'im-' (not) and 'patiens' (enduring or suffering). It literally means someone who is not able to endure or suffer through a wait.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: impatientFrench: impatientItalian: impaziente

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'impaciente' to mean I'm excited?

Yes! If you say 'Estoy impaciente por verte' (I'm impatient to see you), it carries the same meaning as 'I'm really excited/eager to see you'.

Does it ever change to 'impacientes'?

Yes, if you are talking about more than one person, you add an 's' to the end: 'Ellos son impacientes'.