Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "take" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

брать

Meaning: take, accept, capture, seize, get, hire, buy

Pronunciation: [braht']

Part of speech: verb (imperfective aspect)

Rank: #305 (see frequency list)

Where did you buy fruit that looks so good?
Photo by plumandjello, licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.0

Example sentences:

Я беру́ лóжку и начинáю есть кáшу.
I'm taking a spoon and starting to eat porridge.
Я люблю́ брать сы́на нá руки.
I like taking my son in my arms.
Бери́те всë, что хоти́те: это бесплáтно.
Take everything you want, it's free.
Не бери́ чемодáн с собóй: он неудóбный.
Don't take the suitcase, it's bulky.
literal Don't take the suitcase with you, it's uncomfortable.
Я реши́л не брáть его на рабóту.
I decided not to hire him.
literal I decided not to take him to work.
Кáтя всегдá бралá рабóту нá дом.
Katia always took her work home.
Онá никогдá не бралá в долг так мнóго дéнег.
She had never borrowed so much money.
literal She had never taken so much money as a debt.
Скóлько ты берëшь в час?
How much do you charge per hour?
literal How much do you take per hour?
Гдé таки́е хорóшие фру́кты брáли?
Where did you buy fruit that looks so good?
literal Where did you take so good fruit?
Он не хо́чет брать меня́ с собо́й.
He doesn't want to take me with him.
Онá я́вно берëт умóм, а не красотóй.
It is clear that it is her wit and not her beauty that puts her at an advantage.
literal It is clear that she takes but her intelligence and not by her beauty.
Как поду́маю о командирóвке - меня́ стрáх берëт.
Every time I start thinking of my business trip, I'm in a grip of fear.
literal Every time I think of my business trip, the fear takes me.
Какóй кошмáр, э́тот материáл дáже нож не берëт!
It's horrible, even the knife doesn't cut this material!
literal What a horror, even the knife doesn't take this material!
Мы берëм такси́ и́ли éдем на пóезде?
Are we taking a taxi or going by train?
Здесь полицéйские не беру́т.
The policemen don't accept bribes here.
literal The policemen don't take here.
Послу́шай, по-мóему, ты берëшь на себя́ сли́шком мнóго!
Listen, I think you're taking too much on you!

Idioms and set expressions:

брать на рабóту = hire
literal take to work
брать в áрмию = enroll smb in the army
literal take to the army
брать в долг = borrow
literal take as a debt
брать напрокáт = hire, rent
брать на себя́ отвéтственность = assume responsibility
literal take responsibility on oneself
мнóго на себя́ брать = take too much on oneself
брать налóг = collect a tax
literal take a tax
зло берëт = it makes one angry
literal the evil takes smb
брать курс на = head, make for
literal take the course to
брать такси́ = take a taxi
брать начáло = originate
literal take its origin
брать верх = prevail over
наша берëт! = we're winning!
брать себя́ в ру́ки = pull oneself together
literal take oneself in their hands
не бери́ в гóлову = take in easy
literal don't take it into your head
брать в плен = take prisoner

Related words:

взять = take, accept, capture
покупать = buy
нанимáть = hire

Proverbs and sayings:

Смéлость городá берëт.
Fortune favours the brave.
literal Courage takes cities.
Даю́т - бери́, бьют - беги́.
Get anything given -- run being beaten.
Лю́бишь брать - люби́ и отдавáть.
If you like taking, you have to like giving back.

Verb conjugation:

Present Tense

I	беру́
you (singular)	берёшь
he, she, it	берёт
we	берём
you (plural)	берёте
they	беру́т

Past Tense

I, you (singular), he	бра́л
she	брала́
it	бра́ло
we, you (plural), they	бра́ли

Future Simple Tense

The imperfective verb брать is not used in the Future Simple Tense. Use the perfective verb взять instead.

Future Compound Tense

I	буду бра́ть
you (singular)	будешь бра́ть
he, she, it	будет бра́ть
we	будем бра́ть
you (plural)	будете бра́ть
they	будут бра́ть

Imperative Mood (Command Form)

you (singular)	бери́
you (plural)	бери́те

View full conjugation table for the verb pair брать/взять

Vocabulary lesson: By Russificate blog exclusively for MasterRussian

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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