J'ai encore besoin d'utiliser ces choses, alors s'il te plait ne les emmène pas.

Sentence Discussions French
#1
English Translation

I still need to use these things, so please don’t take them away.

I thought that emmener was just for taking people, but here it is in Larousse, the number 4 definition:

emmener
verbe transitif
familier [emporter] = to take (away)
emmène la fourchette à la cuisine = take the fork into the kitchen
© Larousse 2014

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#2

This distinction is indeed supposed to exist, but (I think) this is a distinction that is tending to disappear (the wiktionary mentions something along those lines (emmener — Wiktionnaire, le dictionnaire libre) )

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#3

@TheMightyDolphin : What is your experience with it? Do you hear it being used for things, not just people?

#4

So, I have asked a few people around me what they thought about it, and for them the distinction is pretty clear; “emmener / amener” for people “emporter / apporter” for carriable thing (but someone did point out that it could also be applied to people - i.e: La tornade a emporté Patrick - as Ptrick is the “thing” being picked up). From the limited feedback I’ve had, it seems, then, that the merging of both senses is not really as spread as I though it to be. Sorry for the confusion : )

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#5

Thank you for the added detail, that is useful.

#6

Very intersting. I too read about these “rules” and felt like they were very much arguable.

I do feel like only one verb is correct in some cases, but I also feel like things are not always as clear-cut:

  • J’ai amené Pierre a l’aéroport.

I think pretty much everybody would agree that you can’t use apporté in this case.

  • Je les ai emmenés faire un tour.

Again, I’m pretty sure everybody would agree that you can’t use “emportés” here.

But then a sentence like:

  • Il a amené sa voiture au garage / contrôle technique.

sounds perfectly fine/natural to me.

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