nehmen
/ˈneːmən/
The German phrase for 'take' is nehmen.
The verb nehmen is used to express getting hold of something and moving it from one place to another.
How does it change in a sentence?
nehmen is an irregular verb. In the third-person singular present tense, the stem vowel changes to 'i', resulting in nimmt. The simple past form is nahm, and the past participle is genommen. Common present tense conjugations include Ich nehme (I take), Du nimmst (you take) and Er/sie/es nimmt (he/she/it takes).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈneːmən/
Did you know?
- The Proto-Indo-European root of nehmen actually meant 'to give or take one's due', showing that 'taking' and 'giving' were once two sides of a single concept of distribution.
- The phrase in Kauf nehmen means to accept something unpleasant as a necessary trade-off, literally translating to 'take into purchase'.
- While nehmen means 'to take', the phrase Platz nehmen is the standard formal way to say 'please be seated'.
Examples in context
- Er wird es nehmen.He will take it.This sentence shows the future tense using nehmen.Tatoeba #8842434 by wolfgangth, translation #2859543 by Amastan
- Tom will es nehmen.Tom wants to take it.This sentence shows the use of nehmen with the verb 'wants'.Tatoeba #6642141 by Felixjp, translation #2011612 by CK
- Ich muss es nehmen.I have to take it.This sentence shows the use of nehmen with the verb 'must'.Tatoeba #6644018 by Felixjp, translation #2360588 by CK
- Bitte nehmen Sie Platz.Please take a seat.
- Kann ich etwas mitnehmen?Can I take something with me?
- Ich möchte mein Recht auf Reklamation in Anspruch nehmen.I want to exercise my right to complain.
- Komm, lass uns ins Kino gehen! Kann ich meinen Freund mitnehmen?Come on, let's go to the cinema! Can I bring my friend with me?
- Nimmst du ein paar Brötchen mit?Are you taking some rolls with you?
- Mama, hör auf, mir mein Spielzeug wegzunehmen!Mom, stop taking away my toys!
- Kann ich bitte ein Foto mitnehmen?Can I please take a photo with me?
- Nehmen Sie sich Zeit zum Entspannen.Take some time to relax.
- Kannst du das Tablett bitte wegnehmen?Could you please take away the tray?
- 661 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Felix are in the kitchen preparing lunch.
- LauraKannst du bitte die Servietten nehmen?Can you please take the napkins?
- FelixKlar, ich nehme sie sofort.Sure, I'll take them right away.
- LauraDanke, Felix.Thanks, Felix.
- FelixGern geschehen, Laura.You're welcome, Laura.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nehmen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nehmen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
