assister

to attend, to be present at

verb ah-sees-TEH Less Common

Origin: Latin assistere (to stand by)

Also means

to assist, to help

Usage Note

Assister à (with à) means 'to attend or witness' — assister à un concert. Without à, it means 'to help or assist someone' — assister un médecin. This preposition distinction is a common learner trap. The noun assistance means both 'audience' and 'assistance'.

Examples

"Elle a assisté à la conférence hier soir."

Natural Translation

She attended the conference last night.

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