take
- 01 A1 Beginner
v.to carry or move something or someone from one place to another.
v.to carry, convey, or lead something or someone from one location to another; often implies movement away from the speaker.
Simple“Please take these documents to the manager's office on the third floor.”
In context“The courier was instructed to take the sensitive documents directly to the embassy without making any intermediate stops.”
PitfallCan you take this book to me? Can you bring this book to me?Use 'take' for movement away from the speaker and 'bring' for movement toward the speaker.
- 02 A1 Beginner
v.to reach out and get something with your hands.
v.to lay hold of something; to grasp or grip using one's hands or a tool.
Simple“He took her hand as they walked through the crowded market.”
In context“She took the heavy iron key from the hook and struggled to turn it in the rusted lock.”
- 03 A1 Beginner
v.to use a bus, train, or car to travel.
v.to use a particular form of transport as a passenger.
Simple“I usually take the bus to work because parking is too expensive.”
In context“To reach the remote village, travelers must take a ferry across the river and then hire a local guide.”
Synonymsusetravel by - 04 A1 Beginner
v.to require a certain amount of time or a specific thing.
v.to require or necessitate a specific resource, such as time, effort, or a particular quality.
Simple“It takes about twenty minutes to walk from the station to the hotel.”
In context“Mastering a musical instrument takes years of dedicated practice and a significant amount of patience.”
- 05 A2 Elementary
v.to swallow medicine or drugs.
v.to ingest or consume medicine, typically by swallowing or inhalation.
Simple“You should take this pill twice a day after your meals.”
In context“The patient was advised to take the antibiotics for the full ten-day course to ensure the infection was completely cleared.”
- 06 A1 Beginner
v.to use a camera to record an image.
v.to record an image or scene using a camera or similar device.
Simple“We took hundreds of photos during our trip to the mountains.”
In context“The photographer waited for the perfect light before taking the final shot of the cathedral.”
Synonyms - 07 B1 Intermediate
v.to accept something or deal with a difficult situation.
v.to accept, receive, or endure a situation, often without complaint or resistance.
Simple“He took the criticism well and promised to improve his work.”
In context“The company had to take a significant financial loss after the project failed to attract investors.”
- 08 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.your personal opinion or way of thinking about a situation.
n.a particular interpretation, perspective, or assessment of a situation or topic.
Simple“What's your take on the new office policy?”
In context“The political analyst offered a controversial take on the recent election results, suggesting that voter turnout was lower than reported.”
Synonyms - 09 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.one version of a scene recorded for a movie.
n.a single continuous recorded performance or scene in film or music production.
Simple“The director was happy with the third take and moved to the next scene.”
In context“After several failed takes due to background noise, the actors finally managed a perfect performance of the emotional monologue.”
take vs borrow — Borrow is to receive something temporarily with the intent to return it, while take is to remove something from a place or person.
take vs bring — Bring describes movement toward the speaker or the current point of reference, while take describes movement away from the speaker or toward a different location.
take vs carry — Take describes moving something from one place to another, while carry describes the physical act of supporting a weight while moving.
Usage take place · take up to an hour · take time
From Middle English taken (“to take, lay hold of, grasp, strike”), from Old English tacan (“to grasp, touch”), probably of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse taka (“to touch, take”), from Proto-Germanic tēkaną (“to touch”), from pre-Germanic deh₁g- (“to touch”), possibly a phonetically altered form of Proto-Indo-European *te-th₂g- (“to touch, take”) (see there for details). Gradually displaced native English nim, from Middle English nimen, from Old English niman (“to take”). Cognates Cognate with Scots tak (“to take”), Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk taka (“to take”), Norwegian Bokmål ta (“to take”), Swedish ta (“to take”), Danish tage (“to take, seize”), West Frisian take, taakje (“to grab, steal”), Dutch taken (“to take; grasp”), Middle Low German tacken (“to grasp”). English thack may be from the same root. Compare tackle. Despite superficial similarity, unrelated to Proto-Indo-European *tek- (“to take by hand, obtain”), which is instead cognate with English thig (“to beg”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.