Prendre (to take) in French

Overview

The verb prendre (to take) is an essential irregular verb that you will use in countless everyday situations at the A1 level. Whether you are taking the bus, having a coffee, or ordering food at a restaurant, prendre is the go-to verb. Its meaning extends well beyond the English "to take" — it also means "to have" (food/drink) and "to catch" (a bus, a cold).

The conjugation of prendre features a notable split: the singular forms use the stem prend-, while the plural forms drop the d — nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent. The third person plural prennent doubles the n, which is an important spelling and pronunciation detail.

What makes prendre even more valuable is its family of related verbs: apprendre (to learn), comprendre (to understand), and surprendre (to surprise). All of these follow the exact same conjugation pattern, so mastering prendre gives you four verbs for the price of one.

How It Works

Present Tense Conjugation

Subject	Conjugation
je	prends
tu	prends
il / elle / on	prend
nous	prenons
vous	prenez
ils / elles	prennent

Related Verbs (Same Pattern)

Verb	English	Example
apprendre	to learn	J'apprends le français.
comprendre	to understand	Tu comprends ?
surprendre	to surprise	Ça me surprend.

Common Uses of Prendre

Context	Example	English
Transport	Je prends le métro.	I take the subway.
Food/drink	Tu prends un café ?	Will you have a coffee?
Ordering	Je prends le menu du jour.	I'll have the set menu.
Time	Ça prend combien de temps ?	How long does it take?
Decision	J'ai pris ma décision.	I've made my decision.

Examples in Context

French	English	Note
Je prends le bus.	I take the bus.	Transport
Tu prends un café ?	Will you have a coffee?	Ordering/offering
Il prend sa douche.	He takes his shower.	Daily routine
Nous prenons le petit-déjeuner.	We're having breakfast.	Meal
Vous prenez quoi ?	What are you having?	Restaurant
Ils prennent le train.	They take the train.	Transport (note: -ennent)
J'apprends le français.	I'm learning French.	Related verb
Tu comprends ?	Do you understand?	Related verb
On prend à gauche ici.	We turn left here.	Direction
Ça prend combien de temps ?	How long does it take?	Duration

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the double -n- in "ils prennent"

• Wrong: Ils prenent le bus.
• Right: Ils prennent le bus.
• Why: The third person plural doubles the n and drops the d. This also affects pronunciation — the vowel sound changes.

Keeping the -d- in plural forms

• Wrong: Nous prendons.
• Right: Nous prenons.
• Why: The d from prend- disappears in the nous, vous, and ils/elles forms. The stem becomes pren- (or prenn- for ils/elles).

Translating "to have" (food) as "avoir"

• Wrong: J'ai un café. (when ordering)
• Right: Je prends un café. (or Je voudrais un café.)
• Why: When ordering food or drinks, French uses prendre, not avoir. J'ai un café means you already possess a coffee, not that you are ordering one.

Practice Tips

1. Practice ordering at a restaurant using prendre: Je prends la salade. Tu prends quoi ? On prend une bouteille de vin. This is one of the most practical uses.
2. Conjugate the whole family together: je prends, j'apprends, je comprends. Since they follow the same pattern, practicing them side by side reinforces the conjugation.
3. Describe your daily transportation: Je prends le bus à huit heures. Je prends le métro pour rentrer. Real-life context makes the verb stick.

Related Concepts

• Regular -ER Verbs — for comparison with the regular conjugation pattern