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

  • penser que

    ByFast French

    “Penser que” means “to think that” and introduces opinions, beliefs, or suppositions. Unlike “penser à” (to think about) and “penser de” (to think of/have an opinion about), “penser que” specifically introduces a complete thought or statement that the speaker believes to be true. Basic structure and meaning “Penser que” requires the subjunctive mood in negative…

  • Grammar: Past Conditional

    ByFast French

    The Past Conditional tense in French expresses the idea that you WOULD HAVE done something, if conditions had been different in the past. In English, it uses either the words “would have” or “‘d” (apostrophe d) + “have.” The past conditional of the English verb “to give” is either “I would have given” or “I’d…

  • conscient

    ByFast French

    Meanings of “Conscient” Etymology of “Conscient” The word “conscient” has a Latin origin, derived from the Latin word “conscientia,” which means “knowledge” or “consciousness.” Over time, this Latin term evolved into the Old French “conscient,” maintaining its core meaning of awareness or consciousness. It is important to note that the word “conscience” in modern French…

  • ralentir

    ByFast French

    The French verbs “alentir” and “ralentir” are related to the adjective “lent,” which means “slow.” The two verbs both mean “to slow down.” “Alentir” is only used in literature (or in Québec) these days, while “ralentir” is in common usage. Meanings and Usage: Conjugation in the Present Tense: Conjugation in the Passé Composé: Etymology: Both…

  • to grow

    ByFast French

    The English verb “to grow” covers many different meanings. In French, however, several different verbs are used depending on the context. The most common ones are “grandir,” “croître,” “pousser,” “cultiver,” and “faire pousser.” Each is used in different situations. Grandir “Grandir” usually refers to a person, an animal, or sometimes an abstract idea becoming bigger,…

  • phoque

    ByFast French

    “Un phoque” is a French masculine noun meaning “a seal,” referring to the marine mammal. Idiomatic expressions Etymology The word “phoque” is derived from the Latin “phoca,” a feminine noun meaning “seal.” Its first surviving recorded usage in French was in 1532, when it was spelled “focque.” By 1573 its spelling had changed to “phoque”…