Mr.Maru: I'm taking Ms.Maru to the store.

Sparky: Can you bring me too?

Mr.Maru: Yes, I can take you to the store.

Sparky: I need to bring some food to the potluck party tomorrow.

Mr.Maru: Oh, that's right. The party is this weekend right?

Sparky: Yes, that's right.

How do you use bring and take? When do you use take and when do you use bring? These two verbs are sometimes confused by native speakers too. Let's go over some simple rules and examples.

How to Use Bring

We use the verb 'to bring' to talk about moving something to the place the speaker is. This is the basic use of the verb. For example,

Can you bring me that book? (Can you move that book from your location to my location?)
I brought some cards so we can play Gin Rummy. (I moved cards from my previous location to this location where we are talking now.)

The verb 'bring' can also be used to talk about movement that is joining the listener's movement. For example,

For the barbeque, can you bring your cooler with you?
Be sure to bring a heavy jacket with you on the trip. It's going to be cold.

How to Use Take

We use the verb 'to take' to talk about moving something away from the place the speaker is. For example,

I'm going to take my camera to the park to take some pictures. (I'm going to move the camera away from the place I am now. I'm going to move it to the park.)

A: What are you bringing to the potluck party? (What is joining your movement to the potluck party?)
B: I'm going to take my special dessert. (I'm going to move my special dessert, away from the place I am now, to the potluck party.)

Bring vs. Take

In some parts of the United States these two verbs are often used in the same place. They have the same meaning. There are some expressions that are very clear. For example,

I'm going to take two slices of pizza out of that box.
Bring me a towel! The sink is leaking!

We can not change bring and take when there is an 'understood' direction of movement. In the first sentence, we have to use 'take' because the slices of pizza are definitely moving out. In the second sentence, the towel is definitely not moving out of anything; it is moving in toward the speaker.

There are some other situations where bring and take are often used in the same way. For example,

George is going to bring Jenny to the party.
George is going to take Jenny to the party.

Be sure to take a pen and some paper to the meeting.
Be sure to bring a pen and some paper to the meeting.

When we use the verb 'to take' in the above sentences it stresses or emphasizes the subject or the person doing the action. When we use the verb 'to bring' it stresses or emphasizes the object (Jenny or the pen and some paper).

Be careful! Some speakers prefer you speak very exactly. It may look bad if you use these words incorrectly (by mixing bring and take, using them in the same way). Please double check if you are making a speech or writing a formal letter. It could make a bad impression or be confusing if you use them incorrectly.

Do you think you understand? Let's try a quiz.

1) I __________ my camera to the hiking trip yesterday, but I didn't take any pictures.

A) took
B) brought

2) Bob ________ Susan to the dance.

A) took
B) brought

3) Can you ______ your umbrella? It's raining here.

A) take
B) bring

Answers

1) – A) is most correct, but B) can be used. The camera was moving out from the place the camera was.

2) – A) is the most correct, but B) can be used. Bob moved Susan out of her house to the dance.

3) – B) is the only answer. The umbrella is moving toward the speaker.

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