Learn French: J'ai pris un risque incroyable.

J'ai pris un risque incroyable.

I took an incredible risk.

Breakdown of J'ai pris un risque incroyable.

avoir

to have

prendre

to have (a meal/drink) / to take

incroyable

incredible

Questions & Answers about J'ai pris un risque incroyable.

Why does the sentence use pris to mean 'took'?

Pris is the irregular past participle of the verb prendre (to take). To talk about the past in French using the passé composé, you combine a helping verb like avoir (here, J'ai) with a past participle. Because prendre is highly irregular, it doesn't follow a normal pattern and you simply have to memorize that it becomes pris.

Do I pronounce the s at the end of pris?

No, the s at the end of pris is completely silent. It sounds just like the English word 'pree'.

Why is it un risque incroyable instead of un incroyable risque?

In French, most adjectives are placed after the noun they describe. Only a short list of common adjectives about Beauty, Age, Numbers, Goodness, and Size (often taught as the 'BANGS' rule) go before the noun. Since incroyable doesn't fit those categories, it safely goes after risque.

Is prendre un risque an exact match for the English phrase 'to take a risk'?

Yes, this is a very direct translation! While French sometimes uses prendre where English wouldn't (like prendre un verre for 'to have a drink'), when it comes to risks and decisions, both languages use the verb 'to take'.