French has two large families of verbs that often cause trouble for learners: verbs built on mener and verbs built on porter. They often look alike because they take the same prefixes such as ap-, em-, ra-, and re-. Yet the basic split is simple.

Verbs based on mener usually mean to lead, guide, take, or bring a person or animal. There is often an idea of movement with someone under guidance.

Verbs based on porter usually mean to carry, take, bring, bear, or transport an object. The focus is often on the thing being moved.

This is a useful rule, though real use is sometimes broader.

The core verbs

Mener

Mener comes from Latin minare, “to drive animals along”.

Basic meaning:

• To lead
• To guide
• To take someone somewhere

Examples:

• Je mène les enfants à l’école. “I take the children to school.”

• Le guide mène les touristes dans la vieille ville. “The guide leads the tourists through the old town.”

• Elle mène une vie calme. “She leads a quiet life.”

The last example shows how mener spread into wider meanings such as “to lead a life”, “to run”, or “to conduct”.

Porter

Porter comes from Latin portare, “to carry”.

Basic meaning:

• To carry
• To bear
• To wear
• To transport

Examples:

• Je porte une boîte. “I am carrying a box.”

• Elle porte une robe rouge. “She is wearing a red dress.”

• Le camion porte une lourde charge. “The truck carries a heavy load.”

The main difference

A rough rule:

Use a mener verb for people and animals.

Use a porter verb for things and objects.

Compare:

• J’emmène mon fils à l’école. “I am taking my son to school.”

• J’emporte mes livres à l’école. “I am taking my books to school.”

• Il a amené son chien. “He brought his dog.”

• Il a apporté une bouteille de vin. “He brought a bottle of wine.”

French speakers sometimes bend this rule in daily speech, but it works well most of the time.

Verbs based on mener

Amener

Amener means to bring someone or an animal toward a place or person.

Examples:

• J’amène mes amis à la fête. “I am bringing my friends to the party.”

• Il a amené son cheval au village. “He brought his horse to the village.”

• Qui t’a amené ici ? “Who brought you here?”

Other uses:

Amener can also mean to bring about an event or result.

• Cette erreur a amené des problèmes. “This mistake brought problems.”

Possible alternatives:

• Conduire when driving or leading is stressed

• Faire venir when causing someone to come is stressed

Examples:

• Je vais faire venir le médecin. “I will get the doctor to come.”

Emmener

Emmener means to take someone away with you.

Examples:

• J’emmène mes enfants au cinéma. “I am taking my children to the cinema.”

• Il veut emmener son chien en vacances. “He wants to take his dog on holiday.”

• Peux-tu m’emmener à la gare ? “Can you take me to the station?”

The movement is away from where the speaker stands.

Compare:

• J’amène Paul chez toi. “I am bringing Paul to your place.”

• J’emmène Paul chez toi. “I am taking Paul to your place.”

The point of view changes.

Ramener

Ramener means to bring back.

Examples:

• Je ramène les enfants à la maison. “I am bringing the children back home.”

• Ramène ton chien. “Bring your dog back.”

• Il m’a ramené chez moi. “He took me back home.”

Other uses:

• Ramener quelqu’un à la raison “To bring someone to their senses”

• Ramener quelqu’un sur terre “To bring someone back to earth”

Remmener

This exists but is much less common.

It means to take away again.

Examples:

• Il a remmené les enfants chez leur père. “He took the children back to their father.”

Verbs based on porter

Apporter

Apporter means to bring an object.

Examples:

• J’apporte du pain. “I am bringing bread.”

• Peux-tu apporter une chaise ? “Can you bring a chair?”

• Elle a apporté un cadeau. “She brought a gift.”

Broader meanings:

• Apporter une réponse “To provide an answer”

• Apporter une aide “To give help”

• Apporter une solution “To provide a solution”

Possible alternatives:

• Amener if the thing is actually a person

• Fournir

• Donner

Emporter

Emporter means to take away, carry away, or remove.

Examples:

• J’emporte mes affaires. “I am taking my things with me.”

• Le vent a emporté les feuilles. “The wind carried away the leaves.”

• Elle a emporté son ordinateur. “She took her computer with her.”

It also has wider meanings.

• L’équipe a remporté la victoire. “The team won the victory.”

• La colère l’a emporté. “Anger got the better of him.”

The last example comes from an older sense of being carried away by emotion.

Remporter

Remporter originally meant to carry something back. Today it very often means to win.

Examples:

• Ils ont remporté le match. “They won the match.”

• Elle a remporté un grand succès. “She achieved great success.”

• Notre équipe a remporté la coupe. “Our team won the cup.”

The old sense can still appear:

• Il a remporté ses livres chez lui. “He carried his books back home.”

Rapporter

Rapporter means to bring back.

Examples:

• Rapporte les clés. “Bring back the keys.”

• Il a rapporté les livres à la bibliothèque. “He brought the books back to the library.”

Other meanings:

To report:

• Elle a rapporté l’incident. “She reported the incident.”

To bring profit:

• Cet investissement rapporte beaucoup. “This investment brings in a lot.”

To repeat gossip:

• Il rapporte tout à sa mère. “He tells his mother everything.”

Pairs that learners often mix up

Amener versus Apporter

Person versus thing:

• J’amène mon frère. “I am bringing my brother.”

• J’apporte une bouteille. “I am bringing a bottle.”

Emmener versus Emporter

Person versus thing:

• J’emmène mes enfants. “I am taking my children.”

• J’emporte mes bagages. “I am taking my luggage.”

Ramener versus Rapporter

Person versus thing:

• Je ramène Paul. “I am bringing Paul back.”

• Je rapporte les livres. “I am bringing the books back.”

Cases where the line becomes less strict

French does not always follow the neat person versus thing split.

A car, for example, may sometimes act almost like a person in speech.

• Le bus emmène les voyageurs à l’aéroport. “The bus takes passengers to the airport.”

Ideas and results can also use these verbs.

• Cette décision a amené des changements. “This decision brought changes.”

• Cette réforme a apporté des avantages. “This reform brought benefits.”

In these cases the older picture of leading people or carrying objects fades and the meaning grows wider.

Summary

• Verbs based on mener mainly deal with leading or taking people and animals.

• Verbs based on porter mainly deal with carrying or moving objects.

• Amener and apporter both mean “bring”, but one usually takes people and the other things.

• Emmener and emporter both mean “take away”, but one usually takes people and the other things.

• Ramener and rapporter both mean “bring back”, but one usually takes people and the other things.

• Some verbs later gained wider meanings, especially remporter, rapporter, and amener.