What does it mean word for word?
The verb prendre in this phrase literally means "to take", mirroring the English expression "to take a photo".
Which one should you use?
Pouvez-vous prendre une photo, s'il vous plaît? serves as a formal version and Peux-tu prendre une photo, s'il te plaît? is the informal version.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase Tu peux prendre une photo ? should be used instead of the default form when speaking to a friend, a peer or someone much younger than you. For a formal request, use Pouvez-vous prendre une photo, s'il vous plaît? If you are approaching a stranger, it is recommended to use the polite conditional form Est-ce que vous pourriez prendre une photo ?
How does it change in a sentence?
You can make the question more structurally standard and slightly more formal by adding Est-ce que to the beginning of the sentence: Est-ce que vous pouvez prendre une photo ?
Did you know?
- French speakers use prendre for many things English speakers 'have', such as prendre un café for 'having a coffee' or prendre un verre for 'having a drink'.
- The pronoun vous is a cognate of the Russian word вы (vy) and the Italian voi. All three evolved from a common ancestral root used to address multiple people or show respect.
- The word prendre is a distant relative of the English word 'comprehend', as both originate from a Latin root meaning 'seizing' or 'grasping'.
Examples in context
- Pardon, madame, pouvez-vous prendre une photo de nous, s'il vous plaît?Excuse me, madam, can you take a photo of us, please?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries photo, prendre, une, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
