Apporter or emporter

Question

she would always bring three or four big novels with her.
elle emportait toujours trois ou quatre gros romans avec elle.I thought emporter was to take something and apporter was to bring something?

Céline Pickard · Accepted Answer

Bonjour Kristen,
In French, 
Apporter means to bring something to a place or person. The focus is on arriving at the destination.
Elle m'a apporté des fleurs. = She brought me flowers.
Emporter means to take something away with you from where you are. The focus is on leaving with it.
Elle a emporté trois romans avec elle. = She brought three novels (along) with her.
A helpful tip is that: the em- prefix suggests "away from here" and the a- prefix suggests "toward there". That's also why a takeaway meal is "un plat à emporter".
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Maarten Kamp · Answer

Céline,

by the same reasoning as for the French choice between apporter and emporter, the original English script should use ' take' not ' bring '.

She is taking books with her when going somewhere unspecified on holiday ( but not to the speaker's location given the phrasing ).

That is, the English should be changed to :

" When she and my grandfather would go on holiday [US:vacation], she would always TAKE three or four big novels with her.... "

https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/apporter/4704

https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/anglais-francais/bring/567216

https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/emporter/28870

https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/anglais-francais/take/616972

Céline Pickard · Answer

Bonjour Maarten,You're right! 😉This has now been changed.Merci de votre contribution !Bonne journée !

Anne Davies · Answer

If a well-known American language learning site is to be believed, there is some blurring between "bring" and "take" in US English. UK English makes the distinction described by Maarten K.

Maarten Kamp · Answer

Thanks Anne.

To be fair, the same sort of ‘ mistakes ‘ happen in French, which I can attest to from hearing ‘ mistakes ‘ in everyday conversations, and even in news reports in France. Particularly the regular use of ‘ amener ‘ is obvious.

Both links below cover the ‘ correct grammar ‘ and the current usage in everyday speech.

https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-verb-conjugation/amener-emmener-apporter-emporter-remporter-bring-take-french/

https://www.lawlessfrench.com/vocabulary/to-take-to-bring/