The French verbs “amener,” “apporter,” “emmener” and “emporter” are used to translate the English verbs “to take” and “to bring.” But which one should you use? And what happened to “prendre?”

mener

Both “amener” and “emmener” are based on the verb “mener,” which means “to lead.” You can lead a person, an animal or a vehicle to a particular place.

So “amener” means “to bring” a person, animal or vehicle. While “emmener” (note the double “m”) means “to take” a person, animal or vehicle somewhere.

porter

The verbs “apporter” and “emporter” are based on the verb “porter,” which means “to carry” or “to wear.” You don’t usually carry a person, and it is highly unlikely you would carry a vehicle. So “apporter” and “emporter” are used for things that can be carried, such as a book, or a bottle of water, or a chair. They are also used for people who are not in control of themselves, such as babies or prisoners.

“Apporter” means “to bring” while “emporter” means “to take.” It is common to see the phrase “Plats à emporter” on the windows of some Chinese restaurants in France, meaning literally “dishes to take,” which translates to “take away” in Australia or “take out” in the US.

Amener used for everything

Despite the distinction between these four different verbs, it is the verb “amener” which is commonly used to mean both “to bring” and “to take” in contemporary, colloquial French. So you may hear people using “amener” even though technically, they should be using “emmener” or “apporter” or “emporter.” It’s a bit like how a lot of people don’t say “ne” for negative expressions (like “je le veux pas” – I don’t want it), even though technically they should.

Prendre

The verb “prendre” can also be used instead of “apporter” or “emporter” to mean “to take” or “to bring.” But “prendre” also means “to take” in the sense of “to choose.” When you’re ordering in a restaurant, you might say “je prends le boeuf,” meaning “I’ll have the beef (dish).”

• je n’ai pas pris assez d’argent (I haven’t brought enough money)
• j’ai pris ton parapluie (I took your umbrella)