Prendre — an irregular verb you need daily

CEFR A1Taught in Module 05, Manger et boire · Module 08, Se déplacer

Assumes you already have

Subject pronouns (je, tu, il...)

Prendre means "to take", and French uses it where English often would not: you take a coffee, take the bus, take the train.

SubjectFormExample
jeprendsJe prends un café. (I'll have a coffee.)
tuprendsTu prends le bus ? (Are you taking the bus?)
il / elleprendElle prend le train. (She's taking the train.)
nousprenonsNous prenons le petit déjeuner. (We're having breakfast.)
vousprenezVous prenez quoi ? (What are you having?)
ils / ellesprennentIls prennent un taxi. (They're taking a taxi.)

Notice the plural forms drop the d: prenons, prenez, prennent.

Comprendre ("to understand") and apprendre ("to learn") follow exactly the same pattern: je comprends, nous apprenons.

Knowing the rule is not the same as producing it.

This page explains the pattern. The track drills it: the point arrives inside a mini-dialogue, then production marked against a CEFR descriptor, then a module test that returns you to your two weakest sessions if you miss it.