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Prendere and Portare: The Difference

Prendo or Porto: Understanding the Difference

The difference between prendere and portare can be confusing, especially because both are often translated as “to take” in English. However, they have different uses in Italian depending on the context.

Why the Confusion?

Both verbs can translate as “to take,” but they are used in different contexts. It’s important to understand the distinction, so you’re not always defaulting to prendere when you should be using portare.

When to Use “Portare”

Portare means “to bring” in Italian. It’s used when you are taking something or someone somewhere, from one place to another. You are often the one moving something to a location. Here are some examples:

Ti porto una birra?Can I get/bring you a beer?
Porto mia moglie alla stazioneI’m taking my wife to the station
Porto i miei figli a scuola in macchinaI take my kids to school by car
Ti porto a casaI’ll take you home
Portami un regalo da Roma!Bring me a gift from Rome!
Porta la macchinaBring the car
Porta i tuoi amici alla festaBring your friends to the party

In all these cases, you are taking something or someone to a different location.

When to Use “Prendere”

Prendere, on the other hand, is typically used when you are the one taking something from a place, often with the sense of getting or receiving something. For example:

Prendo una birraI’ll take a beer
Prendo la macchinaI take the car (I pick up the car)
Prendere il trenoTo take the train

In these examples, you’re taking something from a place or choosing something.

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Example:

“Tu prendi il libro dallo scaffale e lo porti al professore.” (You take the book from the shelf and bring it to the professor.)

  • Prendi: We use “prendere” for the action of taking or removing the book from its location (the shelf). This indicates the action of obtaining the object.
  • Porti: We use “portare” because you’re moving the book to a specific destination (the professor). This indicates the transportation of the object to someone/somewhere.

In simple terms:

PrendereUse when you’re grabbing, picking up, or obtaining somethingPrendo il libro dallo scaffale (I take the book from the shelf)
PortareUse when you’re bringing or taking something/someone to a specific destinationPorto il libro al professore (I bring the book to the professor)

Serena Capilli

I’m the creative force behind both this blog and my collection of short stories in simple Italian for language learners, available on Amazon.

Ciao👋! I’m Serena.

Teaching Italian is my vocation! I’ve been writing this blog since 2015 and publishing easy readers for language learners since 2022. I specialize in teaching adults.

My latest book releases 📖

Le Avventure di Paul a Roma

Gioielli, Caffè e Firenze

Test Your Italian

Not sure what your Italian level is?
I’ve created a free online Italian test to help you determine it.