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Bring, take, or carry
Bring means moving something toward where you are, take means moving it somewhere else, and carry means holding it as you move.
Quick rule
Moving toward you or the listener? Bring. Moving somewhere else? Take. Holding it as you move, wherever it goes? Carry.
You move something or someone toward where you are, or toward the listener: bring it here.
You move something or someone away from where you are, to another place: take it to school.
You hold something in your hands, arms, or on your back as you move. It says nothing about direction: carry a box.
How to choose
| Question | bring | take | carry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is it moving toward you or the listener? | Yes | No | SometimesSometimes |
| Is it moving away from you, somewhere else? | No | Yes | SometimesSometimes |
| Is the point that you're holding it, more than where it goes? | No | No | Yes |
Why it trips people up
Bring and take are about direction; carry is about holding. Bring moves toward the speaker or listener, take moves away from them, and carry means something is in your hands or on your back while you move, wherever you're going.
How each one works
Bring
Bringing something to the speaker
Can you bring me a glass of water?
Toward the listener's place
Can I bring a friend tomorrow?
Toward where you'll be later
Bring your guitar on Friday. We can play together.
Take
Taking something with you when you leave
Take an umbrella. It's going to rain.
Taking someone somewhere
I took the kids to the park.
Using transportation: take a taxi
We took a taxi to the airport.
Carry
Holding something heavy as you move
He carried the boxes up the stairs.
Having something on you
She carries her ID everywhere.
Transporting: a bus, a ship
The bus was carrying forty passengers.
What comes next
bring plus person plus thing
Bring me the remote, please.
bring plus thing plus to plus where the speaker is
She brought cookies to the meeting.
take plus person plus to plus place
I'll take you to the station.
take plus thing plus with plus person
Take a jacket with you.
carry plus thing plus in/on plus body part
He carried his son on his shoulders.
carry plus thing plus around
I don't like carrying cash around.
Set phrases
Bring
- bring up
- to start talking about a subject; also to raise a child
Take
- take after
- to look or behave like an older relative
Carry
- carry on
- to keep doing something
- carry out
- to do a task, a plan, or a test
Almost the same
Bring it to my office.
You're at the office: it comes toward you.
Take it to my office.
You're not there now: it goes somewhere else.
Carry it to my office.
The point is holding it in your arms, maybe because it is heavy.
In a conversation
- A:
Are you coming to my place tonight?
- B:
Yes! Should I bring anything?
- A:
Just some ice. Can you carry two bags?
- B:
Sure. And I'll take the empty bottles to recycling on my way home.
Common mistakes
Wrong: When you visit your grandma, bring her these cookies.
Right: When you visit your grandma, take her these cookies.
The cookies go from here to Grandma's house, away from the speaker. In careful usage that's take, even though many people say bring.
Wrong: I'll bring the trash out after dinner.
Right: I'll take the trash out after dinner.
The trash leaves the house, away from you, so the usual phrase is take out the trash. Bring it out only fits if you're already outside.
Memory trick
Picture an arrow. Pointing at you: bring. Pointing away from you: take. Carry isn't an arrow at all: it's your arms holding something.
It depends
- Fetch
- Fetch means going somewhere and coming back with something: fetch the kids from school. Cambridge notes that get usually works instead.
- Bring to where you'll be
- If you'll be at the place later, bring still fits: a host says Bring your swimsuit on Saturday even before the party starts.
FAQ
Is it bring home or take home?
It depends on where the speaker is. At the office: Take this home tonight. At home, or talking about arriving there: She brought a puppy home.
Take or carry: which one?
Take is about where something goes (take it to the car). Carry is about holding it while you move (carry it carefully, it is heavy). Often both fit, and the choice depends on what you want to stress.