The difference between prendere and portare confuses many of my students, because both are often translated as “to take” in English. In Italian, though, they look at the action from two different sides. Once you see it, you’ll stop defaulting to prendere when you should be using portare.
In short
- Prendere = to take, to get, to grab, to pick something up: Prendo il libro dallo scaffale.
- Portare = to bring or take something or someone to a place: Porto il libro al professore.
- The question to ask: is the focus on getting it, or on moving it somewhere? Getting it: prendere. Moving it to a place or person: portare.
| Prendere | Portare | |
|---|---|---|
| Main meaning | to take, to get, to grab | to bring, to take somewhere, to carry |
| Focus | getting something | moving it to a place or a person |
| Typical use | prendere il treno, prendere un caffè | portare i bambini a scuola, portare un regalo |
| Example | Prendo la giacca. | Porto la giacca in lavanderia. |
Portare: to bring, to take someone or something somewhere
Portare means “to bring” or “to take” when you move something or someone from one place to another. There’s always a destination, even when it’s not said.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Ti porto una birra? | Can I bring you a beer? |
| Porto mia moglie alla stazione. | I’m taking my wife to the station. |
| Porto i miei figli a scuola in macchina. | I take my kids to school by car. |
| Ti porto a casa. | I’ll take you home. |
| Portami un regalo da Roma! | Bring me a gift from Rome! |
| Porta i tuoi amici alla festa. | Bring your friends to the party. |
Two more uses you’ll hear every day:
- portare via = to take away: Una pizza margherita da portare via, per favore. (A margherita pizza to go, please.)
- portare = to wear (glasses, a size, an accessory): Porto gli occhiali. More on this in my guide to mettersi, vestirsi, indossare and portare.
Prendere: to take, to get, to grab
Prendere is used when you take something from a place, get it, choose it or grab it. The focus is on getting hold of it, not on where it goes.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Prendo il libro dallo scaffale. | I take the book from the shelf. |
| Prendo una birra. | I’ll have a beer. |
| Oggi prendo la macchina. | Today I’m taking the car. |
| Prendiamo il treno delle 8. | Let’s take the 8 o’clock train. |
| Hai preso le chiavi? | Did you get the keys? |
With food and drinks, prendere means “to have”: Cosa prendi? (What are you having?) Prendo un caffè. (I’ll have a coffee.)
Prendere and portare in the same sentence
This example shows the difference perfectly:
Prendi il libro dallo scaffale e portalo al professore.
Take the book from the shelf and bring it to the professor.
- Prendi: you take the book from where it is (the shelf). That’s the action of getting it.
- Portalo: you move the book to a destination (the professor).
Andare a prendere: to pick someone up
This is where English speakers make the most mistakes. “To pick someone up” is andare a prendere or passare a prendere, while “to take someone somewhere” (to drop them off) is portare.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Vado a prendere i bambini a scuola. | I’m going to pick up the kids from school. |
| Porto i bambini a scuola. | I’m taking the kids to school. |
| Passo a prenderti alle 8. | I’ll pick you up at 8. |
| Ti porto all’aeroporto. | I’ll take you to the airport. |
Common mistakes
| ❌ Not this | ✅ But this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Prendo mia figlia a scuola. (meaning “I take her there”) | Porto mia figlia a scuola. | you move her to a place |
| Porto un caffè? (meaning “Shall I have a coffee?”) | Prendo un caffè? | you get it for yourself |
| Prendimi un regalo da Roma! (meaning “bring it to me”) | Portami un regalo da Roma! | it has to arrive to you |
| Ti prendo a casa. (meaning “I’ll take you home”) | Ti porto a casa. | destination: home |
Exercise: prendere or portare?
- Stasera ______ il vino io! (portare/prendere, io)
- Al bar ______ sempre un cappuccino. (io)
- Domani ______ la nonna dal medico. (noi)
- A che ora vai a ______ Luca all’aeroporto?
- ______ l’ombrello, piove! (tu, imperative)
- Una pizza da ______ via, per favore.
Show the answers
- porto
- prendo
- portiamo
- prendere
- Prendi
- portare
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between prendere and portare?
Prendere means to take, get or grab something (Prendo il libro). Portare means to bring or take something or someone to a place (Porto il libro al professore).
How do you say “to pick someone up” in Italian?
Use andare a prendere or passare a prendere: Vado a prendere i bambini a scuola. Passo a prenderti alle 8.
Is it prendere or portare a pizza to go?
Portare via: una pizza da portare via. Portare via means “to take away.”
How do you say “What are you having?” in Italian?
Cosa prendi? With food and drinks, prendere means “to have.”
My characters are always bringing, taking and picking each other up: at the station, at the airport, at the bar. Reading these verbs in a story is the fastest way to stop translating them. Here are three to try:
7 Romance Short Stories in Italian
Level B1/B2
Seven stories about love and everyday life, full of natural conversations.
Dive deeper: mettersi, vestirsi, indossare or portare? · lasciare, partire, uscire or andare via? · the 60 most common Italian verbs
