prendre
/pʁɑ̃.dʁə/
The English phrase 'take' is translated into French as prendre.
The verb prendre is used to mean 'take'. It is also the standard verb used when ordering food or drinks, similar to saying 'I will have the coffee'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of prendre is pris, which means 'taken'.
How do you pronounce it?
prendre is pronounced /pʁɑ̃.dʁə/ and has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The phrase prendre la tête does not mean to take a head, but is a slang expression meaning to overthink something or to annoy someone.
- The verb prendre is the root of the word comprendre, which means 'to understand' because it literally means 'to take together' or 'to grasp'.
- When French speakers want to 'take a look' at something, they say jeter un coup d'œil, which literally means 'to throw a blow of eye'.
Examples in context
- Tu peux le prendre.You can take it.This sentence shows how to say you can take something using prendre.Tatoeba #5594157 by Aiji, translation #3326710 by CK
- Je vais prendre ça.I'll take that.This sentence is useful for expressing that you will take something using prendre.Tatoeba #7811276 by Aiji, translation #1890936 by CK
- Tom veut le prendre.Tom wants to take it.This sentence demonstrates expressing a desire to take something using prendre.Tatoeba #4450624 by franlexcois, translation #2011612 by CK
- Je vais prendre un café, s'il vous plaît.I'll have a coffee, please.
- Pouvez-vous prendre mon manteau ?Can you take my coat?
- Je vais emporter un sandwich pour le déjeuner.I'm going to take a sandwich for lunch.
- Je vais prendre un verre avec mes amis ce soir.I'm going to grab a drink with my friends tonight.
- Tu peux prendre ton temps, je t'attends ici.You can take your time. I'll wait for you here.
- Tu peux choper les clés sur la table ?Can you grab the keys from the table?
- Génial ! J'ai réussi à attraper le dernier billet pour le concert.Awesome! I managed to get the last ticket for the concert.
- Va ramasser tes affaires dans ta chambre !Go pick up your things in your room!
- 895 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are deciding how to go to the city center.
- ChloéOn va prendre le bus ?Shall we take the bus?
- NathanNon, je préfère prendre le train.No, I prefer to take the train.
- ChloéC'est plus rapide pour Nathan.It is faster for Nathan.
- NathanOui, on peut donc prendre celui-là.Yes, so we can take that one.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry prendre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
