Elle a choisi d'assister son père dans ses derniers instants.
She chose to support her father in his final moments.
Les bénévoles assistent les familles sinistrées.
The volunteers help the disaster-stricken families.
Cet avocat assistera son client devant le tribunal.
This lawyer will represent and assist his client in court.
Une infirmière assiste le médecin pendant l'opération.
A nurse assists the doctor during the operation.
Nous assistons à un changement profond de la société.
We are witnessing a profound change in society.
Similar words
accompagner
secourir
suivre
voir
seconder
soutenir
épauler
participer à
être présent à
être témoin de
Meanings
Being present
verb
events
neutral
To be present at an event, meeting, or performance, or to witness a change as it unfolds. This sense takes à before the thing observed.
Examples
Nous avons assisté au concert hier soir.
We attended the concert last night.
Elle assiste à toutes les réunions de l'équipe.
She attends every team meeting.
Des milliers de personnes ont assisté à la cérémonie.
Thousands of people attended the ceremony.
J'aimerais assister à votre conférence.
I would like to attend your lecture.
Nous assistons à un changement profond de la société.
We are witnessing a profound change in society.
Similar words
être présent à
participer à
voir
suivre
être témoin de
Giving help
verb
support
neutral
To help or support a person or group, often in a professional, legal, medical, or difficult situation. The person helped is a direct object, without à.
Examples
Une infirmière assiste le médecin pendant l'opération.
A nurse assists the doctor during the operation.
Cet avocat assistera son client devant le tribunal.
This lawyer will represent and assist his client in court.
Les bénévoles assistent les familles sinistrées.
The volunteers help the disaster-stricken families.
Un collègue m'a assisté dans cette tâche difficile.
A colleague helped me with this difficult task.
Elle a choisi d'assister son père dans ses derniers instants.
She chose to support her father in his final moments.
Similar words
aider
seconder
soutenir
épauler
accompagner
secourir
Etymology
From Latin assistere, meaning “to stand beside” or “to help.”
FAQ
What does assister mean?
Assister à means to attend or witness something, while assister quelqu’un means to help or support someone.
Does assister mean “to assist” in English?
Yes, assister quelqu’un can mean to assist someone, but assister à quelque chose normally means to attend or witness it.
Which preposition follows assister?
Use à for an event or situation: assister à une réunion. Do not use it before the person receiving help: assister un client.
What is the difference between assister à and participer à?
Assister à focuses on being present or watching, while participer à says that someone takes an active part.
How is assister pronounced?
Assister is pronounced /asiste/ in standard metropolitan French.
Is assister a regular verb?
Yes. Assister is a regular first-group verb conjugated like other verbs ending in -er.
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