attendre

English translation: waiting for

21:31 Dec 6, 2017
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Bus/Financial - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: attendre
Does the phrase 'vous m'avez indiqué attendre le rapport' mean 'you told me to wait for the report' or 'you told me you would wait for the report'? In other words, who does the waiting, the writer or the addressee? From the wider context it would seem to be the addressee, but this contradicts my understanding of French grammar.
Hannon
Local time: 01:04
English translation:waiting for
Explanation:
Given the phrasing, and without more context, I read this as follows:

"You told me you were waiting for the report".

The writer is repeating to A (vous) what he maintains that A (vous) told him.

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Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 22:53:58 GMT)
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In fact, my title should be "that you were waiting for"

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Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 22:59:15 GMT)
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Had it been the other way round, it would have been : "vous m'avez dit d'attendre le report".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:00:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Had that been the version before us, the writer would have been saying that A had told him B (writer) that he had to wait for the report.

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Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:03:17 GMT)
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It's a "verbe de déclaration + infinitif".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:04:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A forum, but this may help convince you:

https://www.etudes-litteraires.com/forum/topic46716-infiniti...

Un infinitif est tout à fait correct après les verbes de déclaration tels que dire, prétendre, déclarer, affirmer, nier :
Il dit être déjà venu.
Il prétend savoir nager.
Il déclare annuler la commande.
Il affirme comprendre vos raisons.
Il nie connaître la victime.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:06:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.connectigramme.com/infinitif.html/infinitif.htm

Les verbes de déclaration

PRÉTENDRE
DÉCLARER
AFFIRMER
DIRE
NIER

Il prétend être magicien.
Il nie connaître la victime.
Ils affirment vouloir nous donner une chance.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:09:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Vous" is the subject of the sentence and is declaring what he has to do (wait for the report). It is not suggesting that the writer has to wait. (Althgouh that may be the net result of course)!
Selected response from:

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 02:04
Grading comment
Thanks to all participants in an interesting discussion.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6waiting for
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
3to wait for = that I should wait for
Daniel Frisano


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to wait for = that I should wait for


Explanation:
See discussion.

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Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:00:37 GMT)
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It could be "abiding" instead of "waiting for".

Daniel Frisano
Italy
Local time: 02:04
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  mchd: ce n'est pas forcément la notion de "to wait for"
54 mins
  -> Right. It could be "to abide".

neutral  Daryo: that would be more a translation for "vous m'avez indiqué d'attendre le rapport", but without more context and given that people are not always precise, it could be either way ...
2 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
waiting for


Explanation:
Given the phrasing, and without more context, I read this as follows:

"You told me you were waiting for the report".

The writer is repeating to A (vous) what he maintains that A (vous) told him.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 22:53:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In fact, my title should be "that you were waiting for"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 22:59:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Had it been the other way round, it would have been : "vous m'avez dit d'attendre le report".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:00:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Had that been the version before us, the writer would have been saying that A had told him B (writer) that he had to wait for the report.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:03:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It's a "verbe de déclaration + infinitif".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:04:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A forum, but this may help convince you:

https://www.etudes-litteraires.com/forum/topic46716-infiniti...

Un infinitif est tout à fait correct après les verbes de déclaration tels que dire, prétendre, déclarer, affirmer, nier :
Il dit être déjà venu.
Il prétend savoir nager.
Il déclare annuler la commande.
Il affirme comprendre vos raisons.
Il nie connaître la victime.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:06:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.connectigramme.com/infinitif.html/infinitif.htm

Les verbes de déclaration

PRÉTENDRE
DÉCLARER
AFFIRMER
DIRE
NIER

Il prétend être magicien.
Il nie connaître la victime.
Ils affirment vouloir nous donner une chance.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-12-06 23:09:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Vous" is the subject of the sentence and is declaring what he has to do (wait for the report). It is not suggesting that the writer has to wait. (Althgouh that may be the net result of course)!

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 02:04
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 119
Grading comment
Thanks to all participants in an interesting discussion.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for your very comprehensive answer. I am now satisfied that the meaning is indeed 'you said that you would wait'.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: much needed lesson in French
30 mins

agree  Jennifer Levey: I agree with what you wrote right at the start of your answer: "You told me you were waiting for the report". Your multiple notes only lend confusion :(
33 mins
  -> I had intended to make a one-shot post, but I had connection problems. I admit it's bitty. However, I wished to provide a grammatical explanation and point to sources to confirm. The asker specifies not having understood the grammar here. ;-)

agree  Daryo: without any more context, I would also understand it that way.
1 hr

agree  Charles Davis: The only grammatically possible reading of what we have. Your multiple notes do not lend confusion, they clarify. Mere assertion would not have satisfied the asker. "Indiquer" is indeed a "verbe de déclaration" for this purpose.
2 hrs
  -> I was indeed seeking to provide authority for my answer. ;-)

agree  katsy
9 hrs

agree  Yvonne Gallagher
14 hrs
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