Tendaient (en. Tended)

tɑ̃.dɛ

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench
verb
The action of directing something towards a goal or a place.
They reached out to help those in need.
Ils tendaient la main pour aider les personnes dans le besoin.
To stretch or move towards something.
The branches of the trees stretched towards the sunlight.
Les branches des arbres tendaient vers la lumière du soleil.
To project towards an objective or result.
The children tended to do their homework before playing.
Les enfants tendaient à faire leurs devoirs avant de jouer.

Etymology

From Old French 'tendre', derived from Latin 'tendere'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

To extend a hand
To offer help or support.
tendre la main
To lend an ear
To listen attentively.
tendre l'oreille
To set a trap
To create a situation to catch someone.
tendre un piège
To tend towards
To have a clear intention or goal.
tendre vers
To stretch a thread
To establish a connection, often used in a figurative sense.
tendre un fil

Related Words

To stretch
To apply pressure on something to reach or subdue it.
tendre
Tension
The state of being tense; pressure exerted.
tension
Tend
Third person plural of the present tense of 'tendre'.
tendent

Slang Meanings

To get straight to the point.
When he speaks, he always tends to get to the essence.
Quand il parle, il tend toujours vers l'essentiel.
To be in determined mode.
When they prepare a project, they are really in 'tended' mode!
Lorsqu'ils préparent un projet, ils sont vraiment dans le mode 'tendaient'!