Amener

Amener is a French verb meaning to bring someone to a place or to lead a person to a destination. It is used when the direct object is a living being, such as a person or a domesticated animal, and the emphasis is on bringing that person along to a location. The sense can also be figurative, as in amener quelqu’un à réfléchir (to bring someone to think or to consider).

Amener contrasts with emmener, which also means to take someone somewhere but often emphasizes departure or moving away from the current location. Amener is typically used for bringing people or animals to a destination, while apporter or emporter are used for objects. In everyday usage, amener is the verb to use when talking about transporting someone to a place, whereas emmener stresses the act of taking someone away from the origin.

Conjugation: amener is a regular -er verb with occasional stem changes in some forms. Present tense: j’amène, tu amènes, il/elle amène, nous amenons, vous amenez, ils/elles amènent. Passé composé is formed with avoir: j’ai amené, tu as amené, il a amené; nous avons amené, vous avez amené, ils ont amené. Imparfait: j’amènais, tu amènais, il amè­nait, nous amenions, vous ameniez, ils amenaient. Future: j’amènerai, tu amèneras, il amènera, nous amènerons, vous amènerez, ils amèneront. Subjonctif présent: que j’amène, que tu amènes, qu’il amène, que nous amenions, que vous ameniez, qu’ils amènent. Impératif: amène, amenons, amenez.

Usage notes: amener is commonly used with phrases like amener quelqu’un à faire quelque chose (to bring someone to do something) and often appears with reflexive pronouns in imperative constructions. Etymology traces to Old French amener, from a + mener, “to lead.”