brać

The Verb Brać

Level 3

brać (imperfective) vs. wziąć (perfective)
Present: biorę, bierzesz, bierze, bierzemy, bierzecie, biorą

How It Works

The verb brać is essential for daily communication but presents two main challenges: its irregular conjugation and its aspectual usage.

1. Irregular Conjugation
It follows the -ę/-esz pattern, but the stem changes significantly:

  • bior-: Used in the 1st person singular (ja biorę) and 3rd person plural (oni/one biorą).
  • bierz-: Used in all other forms (ty bierzesz, on bierze, my bierzemy, wy bierzecie).

2. Aspectual Usage
As an imperfective verb, use brać when:

3. Common Collocations
Polish uses brać in many phrases where English uses 'take' or 'have':

  • brać prysznic (to take a shower)
  • brać udział w... (to take part in / participate) — requires w + Locative.
  • brać ślub (to get married)
  • brać leki (to take medicine)

Examples (5)

  1. Codziennie biorę witaminy.

    I take vitamins every day.

    Word by Word: Every-day I-take vitamins.

    Uses the 1st person singular form 'biorę' to describe a habitual action.

  2. Czy bierzesz udział w konkursie?

    Are you taking part in the competition?

    Word by Word: Whether you-take part in competition?

    Uses the 2nd person singular 'bierzesz' in a common collocation 'brać udział'.

  3. Oni biorą ślub w czerwcu.

    They are getting married in June.

    Word by Word: They take wedding in June.

    Uses the 3rd person plural 'biorą' for a planned future event (treated as a process/state).

  4. Nie bierz tego noża!

    Don't take this knife!

    Word by Word: Not take this knife!

    In negative commands, the imperfective imperative 'bierz' is used instead of the perfective.

  5. Często bierzemy psa do parku.

    We often take the dog to the park.

    Word by Word: Often we-take dog to park.

    Demonstrates the 1st person plural 'bierzemy' for a repeated action.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'bierę' instead of 'biorę'.

    Ja bierę prysznic.
    Ja biorę prysznic.

    The 1st person singular and 3rd person plural use the 'o' stem (bior-), not the 'e' stem (bierz-).

  • Using 'robić' (to do/make) for 'taking a shower'.

    Robię prysznic.
    Biorę prysznic.

    English speakers often translate 'make/do' literally, but Polish requires 'brać' for showers and baths.

  • Conjugating 'brać' like a regular -ać verb.

    Ja bram, ty brasz.
    Ja biorę, ty bierzesz.

    Despite the -ać ending, 'brać' is highly irregular and does not follow the standard -am/-asz pattern.

How It Connects

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braćLevel 3The Verb Brać

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Learn Present Tense before The Verb Brać.

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