verb

amener

bring

Faire venir quelqu’un avec soi à un endroit.

Definition & meaning

Amener is a French verb meaning to bring, lead, or take someone to a place. It usually refers to guiding or accompanying a person or animal to a destination.

Elle amène son fils à l’école. — “She takes her son to school.”
It can also mean to cause or bring about something: Cette décision amène des difficultés. — “This decision brings about difficulties.”
In the construction amener quelqu’un à faire quelque chose, it means to lead or persuade someone to do something.
Informally, the pronominal form s’amener means to arrive or show up.

Grammar & Word origin

Amener is a regular -er verb. It uses avoir to form the compound past: j’ai amené (“I brought/led”). Its present-tense forms include j’amène and nous amenons.

The word is formed from the prefix a- and mener , “to lead.” Its core idea is therefore bringing or leading someone toward a place or outcome.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms depend on the meaning:

conduire — “to take” or “drive” someone somewhere; often emphasizes guiding or transporting them.
emmener — “to take someone along,” often emphasizing leaving one place with them.
mener — “to lead”; it does not emphasize bringing someone to the speaker’s or a particular destination’s location as strongly as amener.
apporter — “to bring” an object. It is generally used for things, while amener is typically used for people or animals.
causer — “to cause”; it can replace amener when referring to producing a result, but it is less neutral in some contexts.

There is no single direct antonym for all uses. Depending on the context:

éloigner — “to move or take away,” the opposite of bringing someone closer or to a destination.
dissuader — “to dissuade,” the opposite of leading or persuading someone to do something.

Common phrases & collocations

amener quelqu’un quelque part — to take or bring someone somewhere
amener quelqu’un à faire quelque chose — to lead or persuade someone to do something
amener des changements — to bring about changes
s’amener — to arrive or show up, informally