prenez

Prendre is a French verb meaning "to take," and prendre’s vous-form imperative is pren ez. Therefore, the word pren ez is used as a command or instruction addressed to one or more listeners in formal or plural address. In written and spoken French, pren ez functions as the imperative form of the verb when the subject is understood as vous.

Common uses include giving directions, offerings, or polite requests. Examples include: Prenez ce chemin (Take this road); Prenez une pause (Take a break); Prenez soin de vous (Take care of yourself). The phrase Prenez rendez-vous is a standard way to say “Make an appointment.” The imperative pren ez contrasts with the tu-form imperative prends (for informal singular addressed as tu) and with pren ons (for us).

Conjugation context: prendre is irregular in many tenses. In the present tense, the forms are je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent. The imperative forms are prends (tu), prenons (nous), prenez (vous). The past participle is pris, used in compound tenses such as j’ai pris.

Etymology: prendre derives from Old French prendre, ultimately from Latin prendre or prendere, related to the broader family of words such as prehendere in Latin and prehend- in some Romance languages. The vous-imperative pren ez shares its origin with other imperative forms formed from the same verb.

See also: prendre, conjugation of prendre, French imperative mood, common phrases using prendre.