Quick answer
Atender gives attention or service; responder supplies a reply.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
atender
to answer, serve, or attend to
Use atender for answering a phone or door, serving a customer, or meeting a request or need.
responder
to answer or reply
Use responder for giving an answer to a question, message, accusation, or person.
How to choose
- atender: Choose atender if the sentence points to answering a phone or door, serving a customer, or meeting a request or need.
- responder: Choose responder if the sentence points to giving an answer to a question, message, accusation, or person.
Examples
O médico atendeu o paciente.
The doctor saw the patient.
Respondi à mensagem ontem.
I replied to the message yesterday.
Common trap
You atende o telefone but responde a uma pergunta. With people, atender often means serve or assist, not merely answer them.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with atender, then once with responder. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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