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FRENCH VERB

prendre

to take

  • #16 most used
  • Irregular -re verb
  • Past participle: pris
  • Present participle: prenant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I take
  2. tu you take
  3. il, elle, on he/she takes
  4. nous we take
  5. vous you take
  6. ils, elles they take

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I took
  2. tu you took
  3. il, elle, on he/she took
  4. nous we took
  5. vous you took
  6. ils, elles they took

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to take
  2. tu you used to take
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to take
  4. nous we used to take
  5. vous you used to take
  6. ils, elles they used to take

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will take
  2. tu you will take
  3. il, elle, on he/she will take
  4. nous we will take
  5. vous you will take
  6. ils, elles they will take

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would take
  2. tu you would take
  3. il, elle, on he/she would take
  4. nous we would take
  5. vous you would take
  6. ils, elles they would take

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I take
  2. tu (that) you take
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she take
  4. nous (that) we take
  5. vous (that) you take
  6. ils, elles (that) they take

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu take!
  2. nous take! (let’s)
  3. vous take! (plural, or formal)

How to use prendre

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Je prends le métro tous les matins.

    I take the metro every morning.

  2. Past

    Vous avez pris la première à gauche ?

    Did you take the first left?

  3. Imperfect

    Avant, on prenait toujours le train pour aller à Lyon.

    We always used to take the train to Lyon.

  4. Future

    Je prendrai une salade, et toi ?

    I'll have a salad, and you?

  5. Conditional

    Tu prendrais un dessert ou juste un café ?

    Would you have a dessert or just a coffee?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que tu prennes rendez-vous chez le dentiste.

    You need to make an appointment at the dentist's.

  7. Imperative

    Prenez votre temps, il n'y a pas d'urgence.

    Take your time, there's no rush.

Good to know

  • Prendre is also to have food or drink, je prends un café, and to take a bus or a street.

Where you hear prendre

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Beginner Level 1

  • Je prends le métro. I take the metro.
  • Hier, j'ai pris le train pour Lyon. Yesterday I took the train to Lyon.
  • Je vais prendre un café. I'm going to have a coffee.

French · Beginner Level 2

  • Je prends le métro. I take the metro.
  • Hier, j'ai pris le train pour Lyon. Yesterday I took the train to Lyon.
  • Je vais prendre un café. I'm going to have a coffee.
11
To the Station

Beginner Level 1 · on prend · je prends · tu prends

Needs a subscription 13
What Time Is It?

Beginner Level 1 · prendre

Needs a subscription 15
A Room in Lyon

Beginner Level 1 · Je la prends ! · Je le prends.

Needs a subscription 19
At the Pharmacy

Beginner Level 1 · Prenez !

Needs a subscription 23
Dinner by the Port

Beginner Level 1 · vous prenez

Needs a subscription 25
The Boat Trip

Beginner Level 1 · j'ai pris

Needs a subscription 7
An Empty Studio

Beginner Level 2 · Je les prends.

Needs a subscription 15
By Bike

Beginner Level 2 · ça prend · ça a pris

Needs a subscription 2
A Letter from the Préfecture

Beginner Level 3 · Prenez-le ! · Prends-le !

Free 11
Packing for Brittany

Beginner Level 3 · on prendra

Needs a subscription 15
At the Creperie

Beginner Level 3 · Prends-la !

Needs a subscription 19
Mont-Saint-Michel

Beginner Level 3 · nous prendre en photo

Needs a subscription

And 1 more lessons.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -re verb.