a pris
The English word "took" is translated into French as a pris.
a pris is the past tense of the verb used when someone gets hold of or consumes something. While a pris is the standard form, you may encounter other verbs depending on the context: saisir is a more formal term that implies a quick or sudden action, similar to "seize" in English and piquer is a colloquial term used among friends to describe taking something, often without permission or in a playful way.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec French, some speakers may use the colloquial alternative pogner to mean "took".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form a pris is constructed using the past participle pris, which comes from the verb prendre. For comparison, the future tense of this verb is prendra (will take).
Did you know?
- The past participle pris is a direct descendant of the Latin 'prehensus', which is the ancestor of the English word 'apprehend'.
- While a pris describes taking an object, the verb prendre is also used to order food or drinks in a restaurant, meaning 'to have' rather than 'to take'.
- The Québec expression pogner is so versatile that it can mean 'took' in the sense of catching a cold or even catching a break.
Examples in context
- Ça a pris du temps.It took time.This sentence shows how to use a pris to express how much time something required.Tatoeba #4395507 by themiska, translation #4394839 by CK
- Tom a pris l'appât.Tom took the bait.This sentence uses a pris to describe someone taking a specific object.Tatoeba #5546164 by guyniv, translation #5546147 by bill
- Il a pris son temps.He took his time.This sentence uses a pris in the expression for taking one's time.Tatoeba #1966314 by sacredceltic, translation #1963080 by Spamster
- Il a pris mon sac.He took my bag.
- Le voleur a saisi le portefeuille.The thief took the wallet.
- Elle a emporté les documents importants.She took the important documents.
- 300 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are in the kitchen after a snack.
- LucasEst-ce que Léa a pris tout le chocolat ?Did Léa take all the chocolate?
- LéaNon, Lucas, elle n'a pris qu'un carré.No, Lucas, she only took one square.
- LucasElle a pris une part de gâteau aussi ?Did she take a piece of cake too?
- LéaOui, elle a pris une part de gâteau.Yes, she took a piece of cake.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, pris, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
