Emporter v apporter

Question

Why isn’t apporter used since it is bring as opposed to take. Thanks

Accepted Answer

Hi Valerie,
Strictly speaking there is a slight difference between emporter ( inanimate things ) and emmener (people and animals )and it is as follows -
The definition of emporter is, prendre avec soi et porter hors de lieu ( to take something with you  to another place )
so you will say :
J'emporte nos passeports pour la fête = I am bringing our passports ( with us) for the party
Il vaut mieux emporter son parapluie aujourd'hui car il va pleuvoir = It is better to bring your umbrella with you today as it is going to rain
But apporter is to bring something and leave behind.
J'apporte une bouteille de champagne pour la fête ce soir = I am bringing a bottle of champagne for tonight's party
Je vous apporte le rapport tout de suite = I am bringing the report to you straightaway
The definition of emmener is, 'mener avec soi quelqu'un d'un lieu à l'autre' (to take someone with you from one place to another) 
J'emmène ma mère  en vacances cette année = I am taking my mother ( with us) on holiday this year 
but amener ( to bring someone and leave behind)
J'amène ma fille à l'école ce matin = I am taking my daughter to school this morning
Just to reassure you, the French do mix the two up and Aurélie does give emmener and emporter as a possibility.
Hope this helps!

Answer

Hi Valerie,the decision when to use a- or em- (as in apporter/ammener or emporter/emmener) is a bit subtle and sometimes you can even use both.Apporter means to bring something to a place and emporter is used when you take something away from a place. Apporter has the focus of the speaker of being where the thing you are talking about isn't yet. Emporter focuses on the case where the object/person originally is located.In addition, emporter can also mean to "take along" whereas apporter would be to "bring along". Again, the focus is made explicit by using take or bring in English. As you can see, in this case both almost literally mean the same thing. I would wager that in the sentence that occurs in the text, you may even be able to use either.Here is a page that you might find helpful: http://frenchyourway.com.au/emmener-amener

Answer

As you (both) say, most of the time emporter is translated as "take", and apporter as "bring", but the difference between the French verbs is not exactly the same as the difference between the English verbs. With emporter, the emphasis is on having something with you, rather than the origin or destination. I don't think it's explained in the page that Chris linked to; there's a much better explanation here:https://french.yabla.com/lesson-Bringing-and-Taking-in-French-352

Answer

The link shared by Alan.G clarified my doubts pending for months together. Very clear and useful. Thanks to Alen. G