warten
Translation
to wait, to maintain, to service
Examples
Ich warte auf den Bus.
I am waiting for the bus.
Bitte warten Sie einen Moment.
Please wait a moment.
Er wartet die Maschine regelmäßig.
He services the machine regularly.
Grammar Patterns
((auf+acc)) warten to wait for sb./sth. I am waiting for the bus.
((sth.acc)) warten to maintain/service sth. He services the machine regularly.
Similar Words
Synonyms: (to wait) harren, abwarten; (to maintain) instand halten, pflegen
Etymology
From Old High German `wartēn` (to watch, to pay attention), related to English 'ward'. The sense of watching evolved into waiting.
Memory Tips
It sounds like 'waiter'. A waiter has to 'wait' (`warten`) on tables. For the other meaning, think of a car 'waiting' for 'maintenance' (`Wartung`).