verb

prendere

take

Afferrare o ricevere qualcosa con la mano o con un altro mezzo, oppure ottenere qualcosa per sé.

Prendere is an Italian verb that means "to take."

Meaning:

The primary meaning of prendere is to take or grab something physically.
It can also mean to catch (like catching a ball, a train, a cold).
It may refer to receiving or acquiring something, like taking information or acquiring an object.
In some idiomatic uses, it can express the act of hiring or adopting (e.g., "prendere un cane" - "to take/get a dog").
It can also be used in contexts like taking a means of transportation ("prendere l'autobus" – "to take the bus").

Parts & Conjugation:

Prendere is a regular -ere verb in Italian.

Example in present tense:

Io prendo (I take)
Tu prendi (You take)
Lui/Lei prende (He/She takes)
Noi prendiamo (We take)
Voi prendete (You all take)
Loro prendono (They take)

Synonyms:

afferrare – to grab, to seize
raccogliere – to pick up, to gather
ottenere – to obtain (when "prendere" means acquiring)

Antonyms:

lasciare – to leave, to let go
rendere – to give back, return

Example sentences:

Prendo un caffè al bar. – I'll take/get a coffee at the bar.
Prendi il libro dallo scaffale. – Take the book from the shelf.
Ho preso l'influenza la settimana scorsa. – I caught the flu last week.
Prendiamo l'autobus delle 8. – Let's take the 8 o'clock bus.

In summary, prendere is a versatile verb in Italian primarily associated with "taking" or "grabbing," used in many everyday expressions related to obtaining, catching, or receiving something.