1 prendre Verb, transitive  

(a) (with hands: pick up, steal) to take an object, person, necessary item; je l'ai pris dans l'armoire I took it from the cupboard; ~ qn par le bras to take sb by the arm
(b) to buy, get (Infml); (when presented with item) to take; to book a seat; to take a room; oui, je le prends yes, I'll take it; je prends le rouge I'll take the red one; où prends-tu tes vêtements? where do you buy your clothes?, where do you get your clothes from?
(c) (=occupy, occupy oneself with) to take leave, money, time, holidays, bath, shower
(d) to take medicine; to take in sun
(e) to have a meal, food, drink; tu veux aller ~ un café? do you want to go for a coffee?, do you fancy a coffee? (Infml)
(f) to take, travel by, go by, get (Infml) plane, taxi, car, take a road
(g) (in car etc) to pick somebody up; je passe te ~ à 20h I'll come and pick you up at 8pm
(h) to catch a thief; to take a hostage; to catch an illness; (Infml) qu'est-ce qui te prend? what's up with you?, what's got into you?
(i) to take on an employee
(j) to write down information, take (down) notes; to take a photo
(k) (=interpret) to take; ~ qch au sérieux to take sth seriously; il m'a pris pour mon frère he thought I was my brother, he mistook me for my brother
(l) ~ sur soi de faire qch to take it upon oneself to do sth

2 prendre Verb, intransitive

(a) (of fire) to start, (of match) light, (of forest) catch fire; (of trend) to catch on, (of a show) be a success
(b) ~ à gauche to turn left

3 se prendre Verb, pronominal

(a) s'en ~ à qn to take it out on sb, put the blame on sb