bring

bringverb

American /brɪŋ/ British /brɪŋ/
third-person singular brings past tense brought past participle brought present participle bringing

To bring is to take something or someone with you to a place, or to cause something to happen or reach a particular state.

  1. carry with youtake something or someone with you to a place

    transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + two objects [V + obj + obj]

    Collocations

    verb + noun bring a gift, bring an umbrella, bring news

    Antonyms take (bring moves something toward the speaker or a shared place; take moves it away)

    Compare take (bring something to where you and the listener are or will be; take something to somewhere else); get; carry; deliver

  2. causecause something to happen or exist

    transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

    Collocations

    verb + noun bring success, bring change, bring relief

    Synonyms cause

  3. into a statecause someone or something to reach a particular state or position

    transitive [T] verb + object + adjective [V + obj + adj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

    Collocations

    phrase bring something to a boil, bring something to an end, bring something under control

Usage

Learners often confuse bring and take: bring describes movement toward the speaker or toward a place they will be, and take describes movement away from them. I'll bring the cake to your party (toward you); I'll take the cake to the party (away from me, toward a third place).

Common mistakes

I'll bring these files to the client's office on my way to work. I'll take these files to the client's office on my way to work.
Bring moves something toward the speaker or listener; movement to a third place, away from both, uses take.

See also bring up (raise a child, or raise a topic in conversation)

For translators

Grammar trap Irregular: bring, brought, brought.