neem means to take, but it is not the everyday, hands-on "take" you reach for in conversation — that is vat. neem is the formal, neutral-to-written "take," and above all it is the verb of abstract objects: you neem a decision, you neem part in something, you neem a fact into account. Learn it as the register-partner of vat: same broad meaning, very different feel. This page covers its forms and the fixed phrases it anchors; the question of when to choose neem over vat has its own page, neem vs vat.
Core forms
neem is a regular verb. One present form serves every subject, the perfect is het geneem, and the future is sal neem.
| Form | Afrikaans | English |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | neem | to take |
| Present (all persons) | ek / jy / hy / ons / hulle neem | I / you / he / we / they take |
| Perfect | het geneem | took / have taken |
| Future | sal neem | will take |
| Imperative | Neem! | Take! |
Sy neem elke oggend die trein werk toe.
She takes the train to work every morning.
Ons het 'n moeilike besluit geneem.
We took a difficult decision.
Ek sal die volgende beskikbare afspraak neem.
I'll take the next available appointment.
neem with abstract objects: the core collocations
This is where neem earns its keep. When the thing "taken" is not a physical object you could pick up — a decision, a turn, responsibility, a measure — Afrikaans strongly prefers neem, and many of these are frozen collocations where neem is the only standard choice. Learn them as whole chunks.
| Collocation | English |
|---|---|
| 'n besluit neem | to take / make a decision |
| deel neem (aan) | to take part (in) |
| in ag neem | to take into account |
| 'n foto neem | to take a photo |
| medisyne neem | to take medicine |
| afskeid neem (van) | to take leave of / say goodbye (to) |
| die leiding neem | to take the lead |
| 'n risiko neem | to take a risk |
Die direksie sal môre 'n finale besluit neem.
The board will take a final decision tomorrow.
Meer as duisend mense het aan die optog deelgeneem.
More than a thousand people took part in the march.
Ons moet die weer in ag neem voor ons besluit.
We must take the weather into account before we decide.
neem for "taking" measured or formal things
Beyond the frozen phrases, neem is the natural verb whenever the context is written, official, or simply measured rather than grabbed. Catching public transport, taking a route, taking an exam or a course, taking medicine on a prescription label — all lean towards neem in careful or formal Afrikaans.
Het jy vanoggend jou pille geneem?
Did you take your pills this morning?
Neem die N1 noord tot by die afrit.
Take the N1 north to the off-ramp.
Sy het verlede jaar 'n kursus in rekeningkunde geneem.
She took a course in accounting last year.
Hy het by die deur van almal afskeid geneem.
He said his goodbyes to everyone at the door.
Contrast with colloquial vat
The single most useful thing to know about neem is what it is not: it is not the warm, spoken word for grabbing something with your hand. That word is vat. Using neem in casual speech is the classic learner tell — grammatically fine, but it sounds starchy, like reading from a notice.
| Spoken (vat) | Written / formal (neem) |
|---|---|
| Vat 'n stoel. | Neem asseblief plaas. |
| Vat die bus. | Passasiers kan die bus neem. |
| Vat my hand. | — |
Neem asseblief plaas, die dokter sal nou by u wees.
Please take a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly.
Reisigers word versoek om die trein van agtuur te neem.
Travellers are requested to take the 08:00 train.
These are exactly the registers where vat would read as too loose. For the full logic of choosing between the two — and the handful of frozen phrases that override register — see neem vs vat. For neem as one of the workhorse "light verbs" that carry little meaning of their own, see light verbs.
Common mistakes
❌ Die komitee sal 'n besluit vat.
Incorrect register — 'a decision' is a fixed collocation with neem in standard writing.
✅ Die komitee sal 'n besluit neem.
The committee will take a decision.
❌ Almal kan aan die wedstryd deelvat.
Incorrect — deel neem is the fixed phrase; vat cannot replace neem here.
✅ Almal kan aan die wedstryd deelneem.
Everyone can take part in the match.
❌ Sy neemde die trein werk toe.
Incorrect — there is no -de past; the past is het geneem.
✅ Sy het die trein werk toe geneem.
She took the train to work.
❌ Ons moet die koste in ag vat.
Incorrect — in ag neem is frozen; vat is not standard here.
✅ Ons moet die koste in ag neem.
We must take the cost into account.
Key takeaways
- neem = the formal, abstract "take": one present form, perfect het geneem, future sal neem, no irregular stem.
- It owns the fixed phrases for abstract objects: 'n besluit neem, deel neem, in ag neem, medisyne neem, afskeid neem.
- deel neem and in ag neem behave like separable verbs — deelgeneem, om deel te neem, die koste in ag neem.
- neem is the register-partner of vat: same meaning, but neem is written/official while vat is spoken/hands-on. Using neem in casual speech sounds stiff.
- For the choice itself, see neem vs vat; for the wider pattern, light verbs.
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Start learning Afrikaans→Related Topics
- neem vs vat (take)B1 — Both neem and vat mean 'take', but the choice is driven by register, not meaning — vat is the everyday, hands-on 'grab', neem is the formal, abstract 'take'.
- Light-Verb Collocations: maak, doen, neem, gee, kry, vatB2 — The support-verb engine of Afrikaans — which of maak, doen, neem, gee, kry, vat goes with which noun, and why English calques fail.
- vat (to take/grab) — Full FormsA2 — vat is the everyday, hands-on 'take/grab' of spoken Afrikaans — the colloquial counterpart of formal neem — with idioms like vat 'n kans and dit vat tyd and separable forms oorvat and wegvat.