prendre

ByFast French

The French verb “prendre” means “to take,” but a bit confusingly it can also mean “to bring.” Its conjugation in the present tense is irregular, so it must be memorised. However, “prendre” forms the basis for compound verbs such as “comprendre” (to understand), “apprendre” (to learn), “reprendre” (to take back), “surprendre” (to surprise) and many more. See the Compounds & Homologues post for more information. So if you can successfully conjugate “prendre,” you will be able to conjugate 11 other verbs too.

Conjugation in Present Tense:

  • Je prends (I take)
  • Tu prends (You take)
  • Il/elle/on prend (He/she/one takes)
  • Nous prenons (We take)
  • Vous prenez (You take)
  • Ils/elles prennent (They take)

Conjugation in Passé Composé:

To form the passé composé, “prendre” uses the auxiliary verb “avoir” and the past participle “pris.”

  • J’ai pris (I took)
  • Tu as pris (You took)
  • Il/elle/on a pris (He/she/one took)
  • Nous avons pris (We took)
  • Vous avez pris (You took)
  • Ils/elles ont pris (They took)

Usage Examples:

  1. Taking Objects:
    • Je prends le livre. (I take the book.)
    • Il prend son café tous les matins. (He takes his coffee every morning.)
  2. Taking Transport:
    • Nous prenons le train pour Paris. (We take the train to Paris.)
    • Elle prend l’avion pour voyager à l’étranger. (She takes the plane to travel abroad.)
  3. Taking Time:
    • Je prends une heure pour déjeuner. (I take an hour for lunch.)
    • Ils prennent du temps pour réfléchir avant de décider. (They take time to think before deciding.)
  4. Taking Food/Drink:
    • Tu prends du jus d’orange ou du café ? (Are you taking orange juice or coffee?)
    • Elle prend toujours une salade pour le déjeuner. (She always takes a salad for lunch.)
  5. Taking Actions:
    • Ils prennent des mesures pour résoudre le problème. (They take measures to solve the problem.)
    • Prends ton temps pour répondre. (Take your time to answer.)
  6. Taking Medication:
    • Elle prend des médicaments contre le rhume. (She takes medicine for the cold.)
    • Tu prends ce médicament après les repas. (You take this medicine after meals.)
  7. To Bring:
    • n’oublie pas de prendre des bottes (don’t forget to bring boots)
    • je n’ai pas pris assez d’argent (I haven’t brought enough money)

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • il se peut que

    ByFast French

    The French phrase “il se peut que” is commonly used in everyday conversation to express possibility or uncertainty. In English, it translates to “it may be that” or “it is possible that.” This phrase is often followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood, which is used to convey doubt, possibility, or uncertainty. Breaking Down…

  • la mode, le mode

    ByFast French

    “Mode” is a French noun that can either be masculine or feminine. Its meaning changes depending on whether it is the masculine version of the noun or the feminine version. In its masculine form, it means “mode” or “way.” In the feminine, it means “fashion.” So you can remember the difference by remembering that women…

  • imperative mood

    ByFast French

    The imperative mood in French is used to give commands, make requests, or offer advice. It is only conjugated in the second-person singular (tu), first-person plural (nous), and second-person plural (vous). A key distinction exists between affirmative (eg, Do something) and negative (eg Don’t do something) imperatives, affecting both conjugation and word order. Affirmative Imperative…

  • nous vs on

    ByFast French

    French has two common ways to say “we”: Both can mean the same thing in many cases. Yet they do not sound the same. The choice changes the tone, the level of formality, and sometimes the sense of the sentence. In modern spoken French, on is far more common than nous. In formal writing, speeches,…

  • ou…ou

    ByFast French

    In French, the construction “ou…ou” is commonly used to present alternatives or choices. It translates to “either…or” in English. Examples: Read more: See the post about the “soit…soit” construction in French.

  • Verb: se souvenir de

    ByFast French

    “Se souvenir de” is the French verb meaning “to remember.” It is a reflexive verb and is always followed by “de,” or preceded by its equivalent “en.” Usage examples of “se souvenir de”: Using “En” to Replace “It” or “Them”: In French, the pronoun “en” is often employed with “se souvenir de” to replace previously…