How to Use The French Verb “Prendre”

Quick Summary:

• Core meaning: “to take” — but also “to have” (food/drinks), “to catch”, “to get”, and much more
• Irregular verb: Je prends / Nous prenons / Ils prennent
• Key tip: In French, you never “have” a coffee — you “take” one (je prends un café)
• Derived verbs: apprendre (to learn), comprendre (to understand), entreprendre (to undertake)

1. What Does Prendre Mean in French?

Prendre is one of the most versatile French verbs. Its primary translation is “to take”, but depending on context, it covers a wide range of meanings.

15+ meanings of prendre

• To take — Je prends mon sac. (I’m taking my bag.)
• To have (food or drink) — Je prends un café. (I’ll have a coffee.)
• To catch — Il a pris un rhume. (He caught a cold.)
• To get / to pick up — Elle prend le bus. (She takes/gets the bus.)
• To grab — Prends ma main. (Grab my hand.)
• To buy / to order — Je prends le menu à 20€. (I’ll take the €20 set menu.)
• To hire / to take on — L’entreprise prend un stagiaire. (The company is taking on an intern.)
• To occupy / to take up — Ce meuble prend trop de place. (This furniture takes up too much space.)
• To charge / to cost — Il prend 50€ de l’heure. (He charges €50 an hour.)
• To take (time) — Ça prend du temps. (It takes time.)
• To take (a road/direction) — Prenez la deuxième rue à gauche. (Take the second street on the left.)
• To take (a photo) — Je prends une photo. (I’m taking a photo.)
• To take (a shower/bath) — Je prends une douche. (I’m taking a shower.)
• To react / to take (news) — Il l’a bien pris. (He took it well.)
• To start / to catch (fire) — Le feu a pris rapidement. (The fire caught quickly.)
• To work / to take effect — Le vaccin a pris. (The vaccine worked.)

Good to know: In French, you never “have” a meal or drink — you always “take” it. Je prends le petit-déjeuner = I’m having breakfast.

Prendre vs Attraper vs Saisir — What’s the difference?

These three verbs are often confused. Here’s when to use each:

Quick rule: When in doubt, use prendre — it’s the most versatile of the three.

2. Prendre Conjugation Tables

Prendre is an irregular -re verb. Pay attention to the double n in the third person plural (ils prennent).

Présent (Present)

Passé composé (Past)

Auxiliary: avoir + past participle pris

Imparfait (Imperfect)

Futur simple (Simple Future)

Conditionnel présent (Conditional)

Tip: Je prendrais bien… (conditional) softens a request and means “I would love to have…” — very common in restaurants: Je prendrais bien une mousse au chocolat !

Forme pronominale — Se prendre

Se prendre changes the meaning significantly:

• Se prendre pour = to think you are / to consider yourself — Il se prend pour un expert. (He thinks he’s an expert.)
• S’en prendre à = to take it out on / to blame — Ne t’en prends pas à moi ! (Don’t take it out on me!)
• Se prendre les pieds dans = to trip over — Je me suis pris les pieds dans le tapis. (I tripped over the rug.)

Derived verbs — Same pattern as prendre

These verbs follow the exact same conjugation pattern as prendre:

3. Idiomatic Expressions with Prendre

These expressions are essential for sounding natural in French. They cannot be translated word for word.

Prendre un verre = to go for a drink – Tu veux aller prendre un verre après le travail ? (Do you want to go for a drink after work?)
Prendre la tête = to annoy / to stress out (informal) – Tu me prends la tête ! (You’re driving me crazy!)
Prendre son temps = to take one’s time – Prends ton temps, il n’y a pas d’urgence. (Take your time, there’s no rush.)
Prendre feu = to catch fire – La forêt a pris feu à cause de la sécheresse. (The forest caught fire because of the drought.)
Prendre au sérieux = to take seriously – Il faut prendre ce problème au sérieux. (This problem must be taken seriously.)
Prendre conscience = to become aware – Elle a pris conscience de l’importance de l’environnement. (She became aware of the importance of the environment.)
Prendre une décision = to make a decision – Nous devons prendre une décision rapidement. (We need to make a decision quickly.)
Prendre le dessus = to get the upper hand / to overcome – La fatigue a pris le dessus. (Fatigue got the better of him/her.)
Prendre la parole = to speak / to take the floor – Le président a pris la parole. (The president took the floor.)
Prendre en charge = to take care of / to cover (costs) – La sécurité sociale prend en charge les frais médicaux. (Social security covers medical costs.)
Prendre le large = to flee / to head out to sea – Il a pris le large sans prévenir. (He disappeared without warning.)
Y prendre goût = to acquire a taste for / to start enjoying – J’y ai pris goût. (I’ve grown to like it.)

4. Practice Exercises

Test your knowledge of prendre with these exercises. Answers are at the bottom.

Exercise 1 — Fill in the blank (present tense)

Complete with the correct form of prendre:

1. Je _______ le métro tous les matins.
2. Nous _______ notre temps.
3. Ils _______ leur repas à midi.
4. Vous _______ un café ?
5. Elle _______ une douche le soir.

Exercise 2 — Translate into French

1. I caught a cold last week.
2. She took the second street on the left.
3. We are having lunch at noon.
4. He took it well.
5. Take your time!

Exercise 3 — Choose the right verb: prendre, attraper or saisir

1. _______ la balle ! (Catch the ball!)
2. J’ai _______ l’occasion de lui parler. (I seized the opportunity to speak to him.)
3. Elle _______ le train de 8h. (She takes the 8am train.)
4. Il a _______ un rhume. (He caught a cold.)
5. _______ ma main. (Take my hand.)

Answers

Exercise 1:

1. prends — 2. prenons — 3. prennent — 4. prenez — 5. prend

Exercise 2:

1. J’ai pris un rhume la semaine dernière.
2. Elle a pris la deuxième rue à gauche.
3. Nous prenons le déjeuner à midi.
4. Il l’a bien pris.
5. Prends ton temps !

Exercise 3:

1. Attrape — 2. saisi — 3. prend — 4. attrapé — 5. Prends

FAQ

What does prendre mean in English?
Prendre primarily means “to take” in English, but it also translates as “to have” (for food and drinks), “to catch”, “to get”, “to grab”, or “to occupy” depending on context. It is one of the most versatile verbs in French.

How do you conjugate prendre in the present tense?
In the present tense: je prends, tu prends, il/elle prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils/elles prennent. Note the irregular double n in ils prennent.

What is the past participle of prendre?
The past participle of prendre is pris. It is used with the auxiliary avoir to form the passé composé: j’ai pris (I took / I have taken).

What are the verbs derived from prendre?
The main derived verbs are: apprendre (to learn), comprendre (to understand), entreprendre (to undertake), reprendre (to resume), surprendre (to surprise). They all follow the same conjugation pattern as prendre.

What is the difference between prendre and attraper?
Prendre is used in a general sense (“to take”), while attraper specifically means “to catch” something physically (a ball, an animal, a cold). Saisir implies a sudden or decisive action (“to seize”, “to grasp”).

How do you say “I’ll have a coffee” in French?
In French, you say Je prends un café (literally “I take a coffee”) — not j’ai un café. The verb prendre replaces “to have” whenever you order or consume food and drinks.

What does “se prendre pour” mean?
Se prendre pour means “to think you are” or “to consider yourself as”. Example: Il se prend pour un génie. (He thinks he’s a genius.)

Useful Sources

• Larousse — Conjugaison du verbe prendre
• Le Conjugueur (Le Figaro) — Prendre
• WordReference — Prendre (FR-EN)
• Académie française — Dictionnaire

Want to go further? Check out our French Grammar Book — 260 exercises covering all CECR levels (A1-C2), or book a private French lesson with one of our native tutors.