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

  • |

    pile

    ByFast French

    In French, the word “pile” can function either as an adverb or as a feminine noun. Each has its own meaning (or meanings) and usage. Both are pronounced like PEEL. 1. The Adverb “Pile” As an adverb, “pile” conveys precision and exactness, often used to denote specific moments in time or precise measurements. Usage Examples:…

  • Future simple phrases

    ByFast French

    The Future Simple tense in French (“le futur simple”) is the equivalent of the English future tense that uses the words “will” or “won’t.” Eg “I will go to the park; They won’t go to the shop.” The Future Simple is used less frequently than the English equivalent, because it is acceptable to use the…

  • à couteaux tirés

    ByFast French

    The French saying “à couteaux tirés” means literally “at knives drawn,” or “with knives drawn.” What it actually means is a situation of open war, or great tension, or great hostility, or diametrically opposed. The idiom dates back to the end of the 17th century. Historically, arguments were often “resolved” with knives or daggers. So…

  • être mal barré

    ByFast French

    The French saying “être mal barré” means “to get off to a bad start,” “to be heading for failure,” or “to get into big trouble.” Literally it translates as “to be badly steered” or “to be badly guided,” in the nautical sense of steering or guiding. “La barre” is the tiller or the helm of…

  • dire à

    ByFast French

    The French verb dire requires an indirect object introduced by à when the recipient of the message is expressed. This is not optional. Whether the recipient appears as a noun, a stressed pronoun, or an indirect object pronoun, dire always governs à for the person to whom something is said. Understanding this rule is essential…

  • loger vs se loger

    ByFast French

    “Loger” is a transitive verb meaning to accommodate, house, or provide lodging for someone or something. The subject provides housing to the object. “Se loger” is a reflexive verb meaning to find accommodation, to house oneself, or to settle somewhere. The subject finds or secures housing for themselves. Key structural differences Loger (transitive) This verb…