Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ajuma]

Is there any rule for using "take" vs using "bring" in the following examples?

I'm going to take my lunch.
I'm going to bring my lunch.

I'm going to take my shirt to the drycleaner.
I'm going to bring my shirt to the drycleaner.

If you think past tense, there is a difference in the first set:

I took my lunch.
I brought my lunch.

But in the second:

I took my shirt....
I brought my shirt....

they mean the same thing...don't they?

Hmmmmm....

[J.B. Clamence]

The focus of the place of perspective changes.

For example, when you say "I'm going to take my lunch," you are focusing on the place where you are taking it from. Maybe you are at that place now when the conversation takes place, or maybe you simply are talking about that place. However, if you are focusing on the place you are taking your lunch to, then you would be more likely to say "I'm going to bring my lunch." Again, you may be at that place now, or you may be just talking about it, but somehow you are focusing on that place, and channeling your perspective through that place.

[Wangja]

nah, take to, bring from .....

[J.B. Clamence]

Perhaps I wasn't being clear. If you are at home, and you are speaking from the perspective of being at home, if you want to take your lunch to work, would you be more likely to say "take my lunch" or "bring my lunch"? I think one would be more likely to say "take." Similarly, after arriving at work, speaking from the perspective of being at work, you would say "I brought my lunch," not "I took my lunch." Thus when using "take", the perspective is from the place where it's from, and when one uses "bring", the perspective is from the place where it is going to.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I think the distinction is clear in this situation:

I'm at home with my wife. She says, "Take this money (and go) to the store. Buy some milk and bring it back."

For me, the problem arises when we are talking in a third place. For example, we are sitting in a coffee shop. I think my friend should ask, "Did you take your lunch to work today?" In my opinion, it is wrong to say "Did you bring your lunch..." because we are not at work at the moment of speaking.

Another example that seems right to me: "Take my car and drive to my house. Pick up the package on the table and take it to the post office. Mail it and bring the receipt to me wherever I am."

As far as I can tell, take/bring follows the same pattern as go/come. It depends on your location when speaking.

[Sage Monkey]

[whatthefunk]

Tell your students that theyre being nitpicky shitheads. In some cases, bring is correct. In some cases take is correct. In some cases either is okay.

"Bring some pencils home from work." Cant use take here.

"Dont *beep* with me kid, or Ill take your pencil case from you and wack you over the head with it." Cant use bring here.

"Take this bottle of soju to Whatthefunks house." "Bring this bottle of soju to Whatthefunks house." Either is okay.

[J.B. Clamence]

[J.B. Clamence]

[Drakoi]

JBC has it right.

take goes with go, as in

"GO! and take this with you."

bring goes with come, as in

"When you come, bring some food" (beer, etc.)

[whatthefunk]

[jajdude]

It's a good question and it would be good to know the difference, not just intuitively. But since most native speakers seem to use the two words almost interchangeably (I guess?), it doesn't matter much. OK it does matter if on a test! In that case it matters to Koreans! So they will have this wonderfully useful knowledge to pass that test, and stumble when asked, "When is your birthday?"

[tomato]

Here's how you can do it the quick and dirty way:
"take" means ��������, "bring" means ��������.

[Cymro]