Preni is the regular transitive verb “to take”: the subject gains control of, selects, removes, or accepts an object. The direct object names what is taken; source and path expressions then clarify where it comes from. English uses “take” in many unrelated idioms, however, so not every English phrase belongs to preni.
Complete regular paradigm
| Form | Function | Typical translation |
|---|---|---|
| preni | infinitive | to take |
| prenas | present indicative | take(s), is taking |
| prenis | past indicative | took |
| prenos | future indicative | will take |
| prenus | conditional | would take |
| prenu | volitive | take!, let ... take |
The stem is invariant, and all subjects use the same finite form: mi prenas, vi prenas, ili prenas. Prenus presents a hypothetical choice or action; prenu expresses a request, instruction, or desired action.
Mi prenos la pli fruan trajnon, por ke mi ne malfruu al la intervjuo.
I'll take the earlier train so that I won't be late for the interview.
Kiu prenus la lastan pecon sen demandi la aliajn?
Who would take the last piece without asking the others?
Prenu pluvombrelon; posttagmeze verŝajne pluvos.
Take an umbrella; it will probably rain this afternoon.
The object and its source
In the basic physical sense, the object moves into the subject's grasp or control. It therefore takes accusative -n.
Ŝi prenis la tason per ambaŭ manoj, ĉar ĝi estis tre varma.
She took the cup with both hands because it was very hot.
Mi prenis la kontrakton de la tablo kaj metis ĝin en mian sakon.
I took the contract from the table and put it in my bag.
The source is expressed according to its relation:
- de marks removal from a surface, person, point, or possessor: de la tablo, de Petro;
- el marks movement out of an interior, container, or group: el la tirkesto, el la dosierujo;
- for de explicitly emphasizes movement away from a place.
La infano prenis kuketon el la skatolo antaŭ la vespermanĝo.
The child took a cookie out of the box before dinner.
Iu prenis mian mantelon de la vestohoko, verŝajne pro eraro.
Someone took my coat from the coat hook, probably by mistake.
The source phrase supplements the direct object; it does not replace it. A sentence can omit the source when it is obvious: Mi prenis la ŝlosilojn.
Grasping a person by a body part
When someone takes hold of a person specifically by a body part, established usage employs preni iun je la mano/brako/kolo. The person is the object; je identifies the point of contact.
La patro prenis la infanon je la mano antaŭ ol ili transiris la straton.
The father took the child by the hand before they crossed the street.
Do not mechanically translate English “take someone's hand” if the intended structure is “take someone by the hand.” Preni lian manon treats the hand itself as the object; preni lin je la mano presents the whole person as the affected participant.
Choosing, accepting, and using transport
Preni extends naturally from physical acquisition to selection and acceptance. It is neutral in conversation and writing.
Mi prenos la vegetaran supon kaj glason da akvo, mi petas.
I'll have the vegetarian soup and a glass of water, please.
Ni prenis taksion de la stacidomo, ĉar la lasta buso jam foriris.
We took a taxi from the station because the last bus had already left.
Ne prenu la kritikon persone; ĝi celas la projekton, ne vin.
Don't take the criticism personally; it is aimed at the project, not at you.
In restaurants, preni can mean choose or have an item. With transport, preni buson/trajnon/taksion means use that service for a journey. With medicine, preni medikamenton is a common neutral collocation.
— Ĉu vi jam prenis la medikamenton? — Ne, mi devas preni ĝin post la manĝo.
— Have you taken the medicine yet? — No, I have to take it after the meal.
This is a short everyday exchange, not a special tense construction: prenis locates the possible dose in the past, and devas preni presents the outstanding necessity.
Ekpreni and the productive family
The prefix ek- marks onset. Ekpreni therefore means to take hold of, pick up, or begin taking—not merely to intensify preni.
Kiam la telefono eksonoris, ŝi ekprenis ĝin antaŭ ol la bebo vekiĝis.
When the phone began to ring, she picked it up before the baby woke.
Other frequent compounds make the direction or reversal explicit:
- repreni — take back, recover, resume;
- forpreni — take away, remove, deprive;
- elpreni — take out or extract;
- depreni — take off or remove from a surface;
- pruntepreni — borrow.
Mi prunteprenis ŝian adaptilon kaj redonos ĝin morgaŭ.
I borrowed her adapter and will return it tomorrow.
Bonvolu elpreni la bateriojn antaŭ ol vi stokos la aparaton.
Please take the batteries out before storing the device.
Preni is not English “take” everywhere
English “take” participates in many light-verb expressions. Esperanto often chooses a dedicated verb instead.
| English | Natural Esperanto | Why |
|---|---|---|
| take a photo | foti / fari foton | create an image |
| take a shower | duŝi sin | perform the washing action |
| take part | partopreni | participate |
| take place | okazi | happen |
| take care of | zorgi pri | care for, attend to |
| take time | daŭri | last for a duration |
La riparo daŭros almenaŭ du horojn, do ni revenu poste.
The repair will take at least two hours, so let's come back later.
Using a single Esperanto verb is not less literal or less precise; it expresses the actual relation instead of copying an English collocation.
Participles and voice
As a transitive verb, preni regularly forms active and passive participles.
| Time relation | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| ongoing | prenanta — taking | prenata — being taken |
| earlier/completed | preninta — having taken | prenita — taken |
| later/intended | prenonta — about to take | prenota — to be taken |
Ĉiuj sidlokoj apud la fenestro jam estas prenitaj.
All the seats by the window are already taken.
Prenita commonly describes a completed result, such as an occupied seat or an item already taken. Prenata presents an ongoing or repeated taking. Compound active forms are possible, but simple prenis normally carries an ordinary past event more efficiently.
Register and frequency
Preni is a very frequent neutral verb in every register. Ekpreni, repreni, forpreni, and elpreni are ordinary and transparent. Conventional collocations matter more than English equivalence: modern corpus usage supports preni trajnon, but not a universal rule that every English “take” becomes preni.
The status distinctions help prevent overgeneralization. Foundational norm: pren- and the regular endings belong to the core language, and the thing taken is a direct object. Accepted variation: source phrases can precede or follow the object when the endings and prepositions keep the roles clear. Pedagogical recommendation: use de, el, and je according to the relationship described rather than translating one English preposition mechanically. Attested usage: transport and medicine collocations and the productive compounds above are widespread in contemporary texts.
See Collocations with Doni and Preni for a broader inventory of established combinations.
Common Mistakes
Omitting the object ending
❌ Mi prenis malĝusta trajno ĉe la flughaveno.
Incorrect — the selected vehicle is the direct object.
✅ Mi prenis malĝustan trajnon ĉe la flughaveno.
I took the wrong train at the airport.
Confusing de and el
❌ Ŝi prenis la lakton de la fridujo.
Incorrect for removal from inside the refrigerator — de does not express the intended interior source.
✅ Ŝi prenis la lakton el la fridujo.
She took the milk out of the refrigerator.
Using doni for borrowing
❌ Mi donis lian biciklon por la semajnfino.
Incorrect for 'I borrowed his bicycle' — the direction of transfer is wrong.
✅ Mi prunteprenis lian biciklon por la semajnfino.
I borrowed his bicycle for the weekend.
Translating an English idiom word for word
❌ La konferenco prenos lokon en Majo.
Incorrect — Esperanto uses okazi for an event taking place.
✅ La konferenco okazos en Majo.
The conference will take place in May.
Key Takeaways
- Preni is regular and transitive; what is taken normally carries -n.
- Mark a source with de or el according to whether it is a point/possessor or an interior.
- Ekpreni profiles the beginning of taking hold; other prefixes produce established directional and reversal meanings.
- Translate English “take” by meaning: Esperanto often uses a more specific verb.
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Start learning Esperanto →Related Topics
- Direct ObjectsA1 — Learn which Esperanto verb complements are direct objects, how -n marks them, and how object marking remains stable when word order changes.
- DeA2 — Use de for movement or development away from a source and for relationships such as possession, authorship, composition, time, and passive agency.
- ElA2 — Use el for movement from an interior, origin, material, components, and selection from a defined group.
- Collocations with Doni and PreniA2 — Use doni and preni in transfer, choice, meeting, transport, and abstract collocations while keeping their participant roles clear.
- Doni: To GiveA2 — Use doni with a direct-object theme and an al-recipient, and build its regular paradigm, participles, compounds, and common collocations.
- ek-: Inchoative Or Sudden OnsetA2 — Use ek- to focus on the first moment of an action or package a brief sudden event.