Je prends des espèces au distributeur de billets.

Because prendre is an irregular verb.

With je, the present-tense form is je prends:

• je prends
• tu prends
• il/elle/on prend
• nous prenons
• vous prenez
• ils/elles prennent

So the -s in prends is just the correct je form.

It usually does mean to take, but in French it can also be used in situations where English would use a different verb.

In this sentence, prendre des espèces means something like to get cash or to take out cash.

That said, in very natural modern French, people often say:

• retirer de l’argent
• retirer des espèces

So prendre works, but retirer is often more idiomatic for withdrawing money from an ATM.

Des is the plural indefinite article, like some in English.

Espèces here means cash. Since French often uses a plural form where English uses an uncountable noun, des espèces literally looks like some cash.

So:

• des espèces = cash
• de l’argent liquide = cash, cash money

Both are possible, though de l’argent liquide is often more common in everyday speech.

No. Espèce has several meanings depending on context.

Common meanings include:

• species in biology
• kind / sort
• cash in the expression en espèces or sometimes des espèces

So learners have to rely on context. In a sentence about an ATM, espèces clearly means cash.

Because au is the contraction of à + le.

• à = at / to
• le distributeur
• à le distributeur becomes au distributeur

So:

• au distributeur = at the ATM

French does this contraction automatically:

• à + le = au
• à + les = aux

It literally means dispenser of banknotes.

Breakdown:

• distributeur = dispenser / machine that gives out something
• billets = banknotes here

So distributeur de billets is the standard French term for an ATM or cash machine.

You may also see:

• un distributeur automatique
• un DAB = distributeur automatique de billets

Because in French, when one noun describes the function or type of another noun, de is often used.

So:

• un distributeur de billets = a banknote dispenser
• une bouteille d’eau = a bottle of water
• une salle de bain = a bathroom

Here, de billets tells you what kind of machine it is. It does not mean some banknotes in this structure.

Because French usually uses à with machines or service points when you mean at that place.

So:

• au distributeur = at the ATM
• à la banque = at the bank
• au guichet = at the counter

Dans le distributeur would mean inside the ATM, which is not what the sentence means.

Yes. French present tense often covers both the simple present and the present continuous in English.

So je prends can mean:

• I take
• I am taking
• sometimes I get

The exact meaning depends on context.

For example:

• Je prends des espèces au distributeur could mean I withdraw cash from the ATM or I’m withdrawing cash from the ATM.

It is understandable, but many native speakers would more naturally say:

• Je retire des espèces au distributeur.
• Je retire de l’argent au distributeur.
• Je vais retirer de l’argent au distributeur.

So the original sentence is grammatical enough to understand, but retirer is often the more natural verb for ATM withdrawals.

De l’argent means money in general.

Des espèces specifically means cash.

So:

• Je prends de l’argent could be more general and may sound incomplete depending on context.
• Je prends des espèces clearly means I’m getting cash.

Another very common phrase is:

• de l’argent liquide = cash, literally liquid money

A careful pronunciation would be roughly:

Je prends des espèces au distributeur de billets.

Approximate sound: zhuh prahn day zess-pess oh dee-stree-bew-tuhr duh bee-yay

A few useful points:

• je sounds like zhuh
• prends has a nasal vowel, roughly prahn
• des espèces links smoothly, often sounding like day zesspèces
• au sounds like oh
• billets sounds like bee-yay

You do not pronounce many final consonants unless there is a liaison.