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

  • piger

    ByFast French

    The verb “piger” is a colloquial term in French that means “to understand” or “to grasp.” It is often used in informal contexts, instead of the usual verb “comprendre,” meaning “to understand.” The verb “piger” is conjugated like a regular -er verb in French, with forms such as “je pige” (I understand), “tu piges” (you…

  • aller à la selle

    ByFast French

    The French idiom “aller à la selle” means literally “to go to the saddle.” But it doesn’t really have anything to do with horse riding. What it literally means is “to go to the toilet,” or “to have a bowel movement.” The saying is somewhat dated, so it is not used very frequently these days,…

  • détendre

    ByFast French

    The French Verb “Détendre”: Unraveling Layers of Relaxation The French verb “détendre” means “to relax,” “to loosen,” “to untighten,” “to release” or even “to entertain.” It also has a reflexive version, “se détendre,” which also means “to relax” or “to slacken.” Etymology:“Détendre” comes from the Latin words, “de” (down from) and “tendere” (to stretch). Usage:…

  • farfelu

    ByFast French

    The French adjective farfelu describes someone or something that is eccentric, whimsical, odd, or unconventional. It can convey a lighthearted, playful sense of strangeness, or sometimes imply impracticality or silliness. The feminine form is farfelue, and it can also function as a noun to describe a person with these characteristics. Meaning and usage Eccentric or…

  • pouvoir

    ByFast French

    The French verb “pouvoir” means “to be able to” or “can” in English. It is an irregular verb that is commonly used in everyday communication. Here is its conjugation in the present tense: “Pouvoir” is used to express ability, permission, or possibility in various contexts. Its conjugations may change depending on the subject pronoun and…