attendre at C2 — literary & formal
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Judgments, expectations and political waiting games.
The written register
In court French, « attendu que » opens each ground of a judgment: given that, whereas. The plural noun follows from it, and journalists quote it: « les attendus du jugement » are the stated reasons behind a decision. As a bare preposition it turns colder still: « attendu son âge, la peine est aménagée » means considering his age — compact and administrative.
Reports live on « les attentes ». You will meet « répondre aux attentes des usagers » and « des attentes légitimes » in every ministerial text. Political commentary uses « l’attentisme » for a deliberate wait-and-see stance, almost always as a criticism. Administrations prefer « en attente de »: « votre dossier est en attente de validation » blames nobody, and nothing moves.
💡 Focus at this level: Formal — attendu que, répondre aux attentes, attentisme
👨🏫 How to use « attendre » at this level
1. « Attendu que » = whereas, given that. It opens the grounds of a judgment.
2. « Répondre aux attentes » = to meet expectations. Reports and speeches.
3. « L’attentisme » = a wait-and-see stance. Nearly always a criticism.
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
Which is formal: « parce que le contrat n’a pas été signé » or « attendu que le contrat n’a pas été signé » ?
Show answer
« Attendu que » — it belongs to judgments and legal drafting; the other is ordinary speech.
What are « les attendus du jugement » ?
Show answer
The stated grounds of the ruling — the reasoning behind it, not the verdict itself.
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