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il prenait

was taking, took

p ʁ ə . n ɛ → prendre
pren to take + ait il/elle imperfect conjugation
verb · 3rd-person singular, imperfect tense Common #8,218
was taking, took The imperfect form can describe an ongoing or habitual past action.
FR: Elle prenait le bus tous les matins.
EN: She took the bus every morning.
Conjugation of prendre
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First prenais —
Second prenais preniez
Third prenait prenaient

Il prenait des notes non pas sur son UniBook, mais sur une liasse de papier.

He was taking notes not on his UniBook, but on a stack of paper.

Il prenait un étrange accent anglais.

He adopted a strange English accent.

— Le Loup de Wall Street (2013)

Elle portait la culotte et lui, il prenait les coups.

She wore the pants, and he took the hits.

— Tesis (1996)

Elle prenait plaisir à être avec lui.

She enjoyed being with him.

On prenait un peu l'air en lisant des revues.

We used to get some fresh air while reading magazines.

— Parle avec elle (2002)

Le médecin a dit qu'il irait mieux s'il prenait son médicament.

The doctor said he would get better if he took his medicine.

On prenait un verre avec Tino.

We were having a drink with Tino.

— Amarcord (1973)

Il prenait des risques en travaillant ?

Was he taking risks while working?

— Anatomie d'une chute (2023)

Tom ne prenait pas vraiment de plaisir à étudier le français.

Tom didn’t really enjoy studying French.

La réunion prenait fin.

The meeting was ending.

Probablement à cause de la drogue qu'elle prenait.

Probably because of the drugs she was taking.

Il n'écoutait plus et prenait un parti.

He wasn't listening anymore and was taking sides.

Si on prenait un verre ?

Shall we have a drink?

Il prenait plaisir à ces visites.

He enjoyed these visits.

Son rôle de photographe prenait un sens nouveau.

His role as a photographer took on a new meaning.

— The Salt of the Earth (2014)

Et la victime en prenait-elle ?

And did the victim take any?

— Irreversible (2002)

Il criait et il se prenait pour un prof.

He was shouting and acting like a teacher.

— Tesis (1996)

Elle prenait une douche et j'ai ouvert la porte.

She was taking a shower, and I opened the door.

— Mulholland Drive (2001)

Qu’est-ce qui lui prenait ?

What had gotten into them?

M. Pitts prenait son temps.

Mr. Pitts was taking his time.

— Le Cercle des poètes disparus (1989)

Le lit prenait beaucoup de place.

The bed took up a lot of space.

Ou il serait annulé si on nous prenait ensemble.

Or it would be canceled if we were caught together.

Elle me prenait la main et m'emmenait partout.

She would take my hand and take me everywhere.

— Black (2005)

Je savais pas que ça prenait une permission pour sortir.

I didn't know you needed permission to go out.

— Marty Supreme (2025)

Il en prenait son parti.

He accepted it.

Tom prenait seulement son petit déjeuner.

Tom was just having breakfast.

Le matou prenait le soleil.

The tomcat was sunbathing.

Et s'il la prenait par la main ?

What if he took her hand?

S'il nous voit, on dira qu'on prenait l'air.

If he sees us, we'll say we were getting some fresh air.

— Psychose (1960)

L'infirmière prenait soin du patient.

The nurse was taking care of the patient.

Ma part pauvre prenait du retard sur ma part riche.

My poor side was falling behind my rich side.

David prenait des notes sur une feuille de papier.

David was taking notes on a sheet of paper.

Northstar ne prenait pas l’eau, donc je ne devais pas avoir ouvert une couture.

Northstar wasn’t taking on water, so I must not have opened a seam.

Prenait le jour pour la nuit.

Mistook day for night.

— A Bad Son (1980)

Et ma mère prenait les mêmes médicaments pour ça.

And my mother was taking the same medication for that.

— Shelter (2026)

Il y avait un garçon qui prenait tout au sérieux.

There was a boy who took everything seriously.

— Tesis (1996)

J'ai annulé mon abonnement parce qu'on me le prenait dans ma boîte.

I canceled my subscription because they were taking it from my mailbox.

— The Mask (1994)

Le matin, elle appela son bureau pour dire qu'elle prenait une journée de congé.

In the morning, she called her office to say that she was taking the day off.

Quand l'argent changeait de mains, Rocha prenait une taxe.

Whenever money changed hands, Rocha took a cut.

— Troupe d'Élite : l'Ennemi Intérieur (2010)

Alors il prenait la douche habillé ?

So he took a shower fully dressed?

— Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (2007)

Marie prenait de la drogue, donc la police l'a arrêtée.

Marie was taking drugs, so the police arrested her.

On prenait le même train chaque matin.

We took the same train every morning.

— Mirage (2018)

Tom prenait le soleil dans le parc.

Tom was sunbathing in the park.

Le maître du port Clark Laneson prenait grand soin de le protéger.

Harbor master Clark Laneson took great care to protect him.

Il le prenait dans la voiture tous les dimanches.

He would take it in the car every Sunday.

— Senna (2010)

Tom prenait des notes.

Tom was taking notes.

La guerre prenait fin.

The war was ending.

Une tortue prenait le soleil sur un rocher.

A turtle was basking in the sun on a rock.

La femme qu'il prenait pour sa tante, était une étrangère.

The woman he took for his aunt was a stranger.

Même la jungle voulait sa mort, et c'était d'elle qu'il prenait ses ordres.

Even the jungle wanted him dead, and it was from the jungle that he took his orders.

— Apocalypse Now (1979)

Pat prenait des notes sur eux depuis des mois.

Pat had been taking notes on them for months.

— Suspiria (1977)

Et si on se prenait tous en photo ?

What if we all took a picture of ourselves?

— Lady Vengeance (2005)

Il se prenait à aimer Phileas Fogg.

He was beginning to like Phileas Fogg.

Là, il prenait vraiment son pied.

He was really enjoying himself there.

— Les Affranchis (1990)

J'ai essayé de l'en empêcher mais elle en prenait en cachette.

I tried to stop her, but she was sneaking some anyway.

— A Bad Son (1980)

Quand le désespoir me prenait, je songeais à abandonner.

When despair took hold of me, I thought about giving up.

— 2046 (2004)

Elle prenait toutes les décisions.

She made all the decisions.

— Une journée particulière (1977)

Si on prenait un verre, Tony ?

Shall we have a drink, Tony?

— Léon (1994)

Ce type me prenait la tête.

That guy was really getting on my nerves.

— [REC] (2007)

Sounds similar to

prenez p ʁ ə . n e prenons p ʁ ə . n ɔ̃