Conjugate prendre and derivatives (+avoir) in the compound past in French (Le Passé Composé)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2023-02-09

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Learn how to conjugate PRENDRE (to take) in Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) in French

Hier soir, j'ai pris le dernier train pour rentrer chez moi.Last night, I took the last train home.

Tu as pris les clés avant de partir ?Did you take the keys before leaving?

Il a pris l'avion il y a deux jours.He took the plane two days ago.

Nous avons pris le train ce matin.We took the train this morning.

Vous avez pris des coups de soleil pendant vos vacances.You got sunburned on holidays.

Ils ont pris la grosse tête avec tout ce succès.They got big headed with all this success.

Note that in Le Passé Composé (conversational past), the verb prendre (to take) has an irregular past participle: pris, and uses avoir as an auxiliary.

*Other verbs ending in -prendre follow the same conjugation:

apprendre (to learn) -> appris
comprendre (to understand) -> compris
reprendre (to take back) -> repris
* se méprendre (to mistake / to misunderstand) -> mépris

etc

* please note 'se méprendre' takes the auxiliary être, like all reflexive verbs.

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Examples and resources

J'ai appris le français à l'école.I learnt French at school.