prendiamo

Prendiamo is the first-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb prendere, meaning to take. In addition to its literal sense, this form is widely used as a suggested action, functioning like the inclusive imperative “let’s take” or “shall we take.” It appears in everyday conversation to propose a course of action involving the speaker and others.

Grammatical notes

Prendere is a regular -ere verb in its present tense for the first person plural, yielding prendiamo. The verb’s root prend- appears in many phrases that express taking or choosing something, such as prendere una decisione (to make a decision) or prendere un caffè (to have a coffee). The sense of prendi- (you take) and prende- (he/she takes) differs, but prendiamo follows the standard pattern for -ere verbs in the present.

Usage and examples

Common uses include simple statements of action: Prendiamo un caffè. (Let’s have a coffee.) Prendiamo una pausa. (Let’s take a break.) Prendiamo la strada più breve. (Let’s take the shortest road.) In many contexts, prendiamo introduces an invitation to collaborate or coordinate plans with others.

Etymology and cognates

The Italian prendere comes from Latin prehendere, via the Romance-language development of the root prend-. Cognates appear in other Romance languages, such as French prendre and related descendants, though each language has its own idiomatic uses and collocations.

See also

Prendere (conjugation and related forms), Italian verbs of the -ere conjugation.