prendre
Irregular Verb Prendre (To Take)
Prendre is an essential irregular verb. It changes its stem three times in the present tense: prend- (singular), pren- (nous/vous), and prenn- (ils/elles).
How It Works
The verb prendre is a 'utility verb' in French, appearing in many contexts where English uses different verbs.
1. Conjugation Breakdown:
- Singular (je, tu, il/elle, on): Uses the stem prend-. The 'd' is silent.
- Plural (nous, vous): The 'd' is dropped. Uses the stem pren-.
- Plural (ils/elles): The 'd' is dropped and the 'n' is doubled to prenn-.
2. The 'Prendre' Family:
This three-stem pattern is identical for all verbs ending in -prendre, most notably apprendre (to learn) and comprendre (to understand). Once you become confident with prendre, you can conjugate these as well.
3. Key Uses:
- Food & Drink: Use prendre to mean 'to have' or 'to order'. Je prends un café. Note: While you 'take' a coffee, French speakers prefer the specific verbs déjeuner (to have lunch) and dîner (to have dinner) for full meals.
- Transportation: Use it for taking the bus, train, or taxi (prendre le bus).
- Daily Actions: Common idioms include prendre une douche (to take a shower) or prendre une décision (to make a decision).
Examples (6)
- Je prends le bus tous les matins.
I take the bus every morning.
Word by Word: I take the bus all the mornings.
In the singular form, the 'd' is written but not pronounced.
- On prend le train à huit heures.
We are taking the train at eight o'clock.
Word by Word: One takes the train at eight hours.
The pronoun on uses the same singular stem (prend-) as il and elle.
- Est-ce que vous prenez un dessert ?
Are you having dessert?
Word by Word: Is it that you take a dessert?
In the 'vous' form, the 'd' disappears entirely.
- Ils prennent leur temps pour manger.
They are taking their time to eat.
Word by Word: They take their time for to eat.
In the third-person plural, the 'n' is doubled, which changes the pronunciation of the 'e'.
- Nous prenons une décision importante aujourd'hui.
We are making an important decision today.
Word by Word: We take a decision important today.
Prendre is used for 'making' decisions in French.
- Tu prends un café avec moi ?
Are you having a coffee with me?
Word by Word: You take a coffee with me?
Prendre is the standard verb for consuming food or drinks.
Common Mistakes
Using 'avoir' (to have) when ordering food or drinks.
J'ai un croissant, s'il vous plaît.Je prends un croissant, s'il vous plaît.'J'ai un croissant' means you already have one. To order, use 'prendre' (or 'je voudrais').
Keeping the 'd' in the plural forms.
Ils prendent le train.Ils prennent le train.Unlike regular -re verbs like 'vendre', 'prendre' loses the 'd' in all plural forms (nous, vous, ils/elles).
Forgetting to double the 'n' in the 'ils/elles' form.
Elles prenent une douche.Elles prennent une douche.The double 'n' is required in the third-person plural to maintain the correct 'enn' pronunciation.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the conjugation of 'prendre', you first need to be familiar with French subject pronouns and the general behavior of verbs ending in -re. Understanding basic sentence structure will also help you apply these forms in context.
Related Patterns
- boireIrregular Verb Boire (To Drink)
Another irregular verb used for consuming liquids, often used alongside prendre.
Level 1 - onImpersonal and Informal on
The pronoun 'on' is frequently used with 'prendre' in spoken French to mean 'we'.
Level 1 - mettreIrregular Verb Mettre (To Put)
Another common irregular -re verb that learners study at this level.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice prendre in Bubblegum
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