Take vs. Give — What's the Difference?

Taking something often involves acquiring possession or exerting control over it.

Giving something usually involves transferring ownership or providing something to someone.

"Take" can also mean to accept or receive something being offered.

"Give" can imply offering support or assistance.

The act of taking can imply removing something from its place.

It can also mean to provide opportunities or chances.

"Take" often connotes seizing opportunities or moments.

Giving is often associated with acts of kindness and generosity.

In some contexts, "take" can imply taking without permission or fairness.

"Give" generally carries a positive connotation, emphasizing voluntary and benevolent actions.

A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production.

Freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone)

Lay hold of (something) with one's hands; reach for and hold

Cause or allow (someone or something) to have or experience (something); provide with

Remove (someone or something) from a particular place

Carry out or perform (a specified action)

Carry or bring with one; convey

Yield as a product or result

Accept or receive (someone or something)

Concede (something) as valid or deserved in respect of (someone)

Consume as food, drink, medicine, or drugs

State or put forward (information or argument)

Make, undertake, or perform (an action or task)

Alter in shape under pressure rather than resist or break

Require or use up (a specified amount of time)

Capacity to bend or alter in shape under pressure

(of a plant or seed) take root or begin to grow; germinate

To make a present of

Have or require as part of the appropriate construction

To place in the hands of; pass

A scene or sequence of sound or vision photographed or recorded continuously at one time

To deliver in exchange or recompense; pay

An amount of something gained or acquired from one source or in one session

To let go for a price; sell

An amount of copy set up at one time or by one compositor.

To administer

To grasp or grip

To convey by a physical action

To capture physically; seize

To inflict as punishment

To seize with authority or legal right

To bestow, especially officially; confer

(Sports) To catch or receive (a ball or puck)

To accord or tender to another

Sports & Games To acquire in a game or competition; win

To put temporarily at the disposal of

Sports & Games To defeat

To entrust to another, usually for a specified reason

To remove with the hands or an instrument

To communicate, convey, or offer for conveyance

To subtract

To endure the loss of; sacrifice

To exact

To devote or apply completely

To deal a blow to; strike or hit

To furnish or contribute

To delight or captivate

To offer in good faith; pledge

To catch or affect with a particular action

To allot as a portion or share.

To carry in one's possession

To bestow (a name, for example).

To convey by transportation

To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.

To lead or cause to go along to another place

To award as due

To be as a path or course for; provide a way for

To emit or utter

To put (food or drink, for example) into the body; eat or drink

To submit for consideration, acceptance, or use

To draw in; inhale

To proffer to another

To expose one's body to (healthful or pleasurable treatment, for example)

To perform for an audience

To move into or assume occupancy of

To present to view

To choose for one's own use; avail oneself of the use of

To offer as entertainment

To require the use of (something)

To propose as a toast.

To use or require (time)

To be a source of; afford

To use (something) as a means of conveyance or transportation

To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition)

To use (something) as a means of safety or refuge

To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase

To choose and then adopt (a particular route or direction) while on foot or while operating a vehicle

To yield or produce

To undertake, make, or perform

To bring forth or bear

To perceive or become aware of by one of the senses

To produce as a result of calculation

To commit and apply oneself to the study of

To manifest or show

To study for with success

To carry out (a physical movement)

To accept (something owed, offered, or given) either reluctantly or willingly

To permit one to have or take

To allow to come in; give access or admission to; admit

To take an interest to the extent of

To provide room for; accommodate

To make gifts or donations

To become saturated or impregnated with (dye, for example).

To yield to physical force

To submit to (something inflicted); undergo or suffer

To collapse from force or pressure

To put up with; endure or tolerate

To yield to change

To receive into a particular relation or association, as into one's care or keeping

To afford access or a view; open

To assume for oneself

(Slang) To be in progress; happen

To agree to undertake or engage in (a task or duty, for example)

Capacity or inclination to yield under pressure.

(Baseball) To refrain from swinging at (a pitched ball).

The quality or condition of resilience; springiness

To be affected with; catch

(ditransitive) To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.

To be hit or penetrated by

To transfer one's possession or holding of (something) to (someone).

To withstand

To make a present or gift of.

To require or have as a fitting or proper accompaniment

To pledge.

To accept as true; believe

To provide (something) to (someone), to allow or afford.

To impose upon oneself; subject oneself to

To cause (a sensation or feeling) to exist in.

To follow or adhere to (advice or a suggestion, for example).

To carry out (a physical interaction) with (something).

To accept or adopt as one's own

To pass (something) into (someone's hand, etc.).

To regard or consider in a particular relation or from a particular viewpoint

To cause (a disease or condition) in, or to transmit (a disease or condition) to.

To understand or interpret

(transitive) To provide, as, a service or a broadcast.

To consider to be equal to; reckon

(ditransitive) To estimate or predict (a duration or probability) for (something).

To perceive or feel; experience

(intransitive) To yield or collapse under pressure or force.

To obtain from a source; derive or draw

(intransitive) To lead (onto or into).

To obtain, as through measurement or a specified procedure

To provide a view of.

To write or make a record of, especially in shorthand or cursive writing

To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to yield.

To create (an image, likeness, or representation), as by photography

To cause; to make; used with the infinitive.

To include or distribute (a charge) in a financial record.

To cause (someone) to have; produce in (someone); effectuate.

(Informal) To swindle, defraud, or cheat

To allow or admit by way of supposition; to concede.

To get something into one's possession; acquire possession

To attribute; to assign; to adjudge.

To accept or receive something

To communicate or announce (advice, tidings, etc.); to pronounce or utter (an opinion, a judgment, a shout, etc.).

To have the intended effect; operate or work

To grant power, permission, destiny, etc. (especially to a person); to allot; to allow.

To start growing; root or germinate

(reflexive) To devote or apply (oneself).

To engage or mesh; catch, as gears or other mechanical parts.

(obsolete) To become soft or moist.

To gain popularity or favor

(obsolete) To shed tears; to weep.

(Regional) To begin or engage in an activity

(obsolete) To have a misgiving.

To become

(slang) To be going on, to be occurring; what gives?

A quantity collected at one time, especially the amount of profit or receipts taken on a business venture or from ticket sales at a sporting event.

The amount of bending that something undergoes when a force is applied to it; a tendency to yield under pressure; resilence.

A scene filmed without interrupting the run of the camera.

To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as authority or permission; to yield up or allow.

A recording made in a single session.

To yield possesion of; to deliver over, as property, in exchange for something; to pay; as, we give the value of what we buy.

A performer's reaction, especially to a specific situation or remark, as part of a comedy routine. Often used in combination

To yield; to furnish; to produce; to emit; as, flint and steel give sparks.

A physical reaction, such as a rash, indicating a successful vaccination.

To communicate or announce, as advice, tidings, etc.; to pronounce; to render or utter, as an opinion, a judgment, a sentence, a shout, etc.

A successful graft.

To grant power or license to; to permit; to allow; to license; to commission.

An attempt or a try

To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to show; as, the number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship.

An interpretation or assessment, as of an event

To devote; to apply; used reflexively, to devote or apply one's self; as, the soldiers give themselves to plunder; also in this sense used very frequently in the past participle; as, the people are given to luxury and pleasure; the youth is given to study.

(transitive) To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.

To set forth as a known quantity or a known relation, or as a premise from which to reason; - used principally in the passive form given.

(transitive) To catch or get possession of (fish or game).

To allow or admit by way of supposition.

To catch the ball; especially as a wicket-keeper and after the batsman has missed or edged it.

To attribute; to assign; to adjudge.

(transitive) To appropriate or transfer into one's own possession, sometimes by physically carrying off.

To excite or cause to exist, as a sensation; as, to give offense; to give pleasure or pain.

(transitive) To exact.

To pledge; as, to give one's word.

(transitive) To capture or win (a piece or trick) in a game.

To cause; to make; - with the infinitive; as, to give one to understand, to know, etc.

(transitive) To receive or accept (something) (especially something given or bestowed, awarded, etc).

To afford a view of; as, his window gave the park.

(transitive) To receive or accept (something) as payment or compensation.

To give a gift or gifts.

(transitive) To accept and follow (advice, etc).

To yield to force or pressure; to relax; to become less rigid; as, the earth gives under the feet.

(transitive) To receive into some relationship.

To become soft or moist.

To receive or acquire (property) by law (e.g. as an heir).

To move; to recede.

(transitive) To remove.

To shed tears; to weep.

(transitive) To subtract.

To have a misgiving.

(vulgar) To admit (a penis or the penis of) into one’s bodily cavity.

To open; to lead.

(transitive) To defeat (someone or something) in a fight.

The elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

(transitive) To grasp or grip.

Cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense;

(transitive) To select or choose; to pick.

Be the cause or source of;

(transitive) To adopt (select) as one's own.

Transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody;

(transitive) To carry or lead (something or someone).

Convey or reveal information;

To transport or carry; to convey to another place.

Convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow;

To lead (to a place); to serve as a means of reaching.

Organize or be responsible for;

(transitive) To pass (or attempt to pass) through or around.

Convey or communicate; of a smile, a look, a physical gesture;

(transitive) To escort or conduct (a person).

Give as a present; make a gift of;

(reflexive) To go.

Bring about;

(transitive) To use as a means of transportation.

Dedicate;

(obsolete) To visit; to include in a course of travel.

Give or supply;

(transitive) To obtain for use by payment or lease.

Tell or deposit (information) knowledge;

(transitive) To obtain or receive regularly by (paid) subscription.

Bring about;

(transitive) To consume.

Leave with; give temporarily;

(transitive) To partake of (food or drink); to consume.

Emit or utter;

(transitive) To experience, undergo, or endure.

Endure the loss of;

(transitive) To undergo; to put oneself into, to be subjected to.

Place into the hands or custody of;

(transitive) To submit to; to endure (without ill humor, resentment, or physical failure).

Give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause;

(transitive) To suffer; to endure (a hardship or damage).

Give (as medicine);

(transitive) To participate in.

Give or convey physically;

(transitive) To cause to change to a specified state or condition.

Bestow;

(transitive) To regard in a specified way.

Bestow, especially officially;

(transitive) To conclude or form (a decision or an opinion) in the mind.

Move in order to make room for someone for something;

(transitive) To understand (especially in a specified way).

Give food to;

(transitive) To accept or be given (rightly or wrongly); assume (especially as if by right).

Contribute to some cause;

(transitive) To believe, to accept the statements of.

Break down, literally or metaphorically;

(transitive) To assume or suppose; to reckon; to regard or consider.

Estimate the duration or outcome of something;

(transitive) To draw, derive, or deduce (a meaning from something).

Execute and deliver;

(transitive) To derive (as a title); to obtain from a source.

Deliver in exchange or recompense;

(transitive) To catch or contract (an illness, etc).

Afford access to;

(transitive) To come upon or catch (in a particular state or situation).

Present to view;

(transitive) To captivate or charm; to gain or secure the interest or affection of.

Perform for an audience;

To absorb or be impregnated by (dye, ink, etc); to be susceptible to being treated by (polish, etc).

Be flexible under stress of physical force;

To let in (water).

Propose;

(transitive) To require.

Legal use: accord by verdict;

(transitive) To proceed to fill.

Manifest or show;

(transitive) To fill, to use up (time or space).

Offer in good faith;

(transitive) To avail oneself of.

Submit for consideration, judgment, or use;

(transitive) To practice; perform; execute; carry out; do.

Guide or direct, as by behavior of persuasion;

(transitive) To assume or perform (a form or role).

Allow to have or take;

(transitive) To assume (a form).

Inflict as a punishment;

(transitive) To perform (a role).

Occur;

(transitive) To assume and undertake the duties of (a job, an office, etc).

Proffer (a body part);

(transitive) To bind oneself by.

(transitive) To move into.

(transitive) To go into, through, or along.

(transitive) To have and use one's recourse to.

(transitive) To write down; to get in, or as if in, writing.

(transitive) To make (a photograph, film, or other reproduction of something).

To take a picture, photograph, etc of (a person, scene, etc).

(transitive) To obtain money from, especially by swindling.

To apply oneself to the study of.

(transitive) To deal with.

(transitive) To consider in a particular way, or to consider as an example.

To decline to swing at (a pitched ball); to refrain from hitting at, and allow to pass.

(transitive) To accept as an input to a relation.

To have to be used with (a certain grammatical form, etc).

To accept (zero or more arguments).

(intransitive) To get or accept (something) into one's possession.

(intransitive) To engage, take hold or have effect.

(Of ink; dye; etc.) To adhere or be absorbed properly.

To begin to grow after being grafted or planted; to take root, take hold.

To catch; to engage.

To win acceptance, favor or favorable reception; to charm people.

To have the intended effect.

To become; to be affected in a specified way.

To be able to be accurately or beautifully photographed.

An intensifier.

To deliver, bring, give (something) to (someone).

To give or deliver (a blow, to someone); to strike or hit.

The or an act of taking.

Something that is taken; a haul.

Money that is taken in, (legal or illegal) proceeds, income; (in particular) profits.

The or a quantity of fish, game animals or pelts, etc which have been taken at one time; catch.

An interpretation or view, opinion or assessment; perspective; a statement expressing such a position.

An approach, a (distinct) treatment.

(film) A scene recorded (filmed) at one time, without an interruption or break; a recording of such a scene.

(music) A recording of a musical performance made during an uninterrupted single recording period.

A visible (facial) response to something, especially something unexpected; a facial gesture in response to an event.

(medicine) An instance of successful inoculation/vaccination.

A catch of the ball (in cricket, especially one by the wicket-keeper).

(printing) The quantity of copy given to a compositor at one time.

Taken.

In an active sense; To lay hold of; to seize with the hands, or otherwise; to grasp; to get into one's hold or possession; to procure; to seize and carry away; to convey.

In a somewhat passive sense, to receive; to bear; to endure; to acknowledge; to accept.

To gain or secure the interest or affection of; to captivate; to engage; to interest; to charm.

To accept, as something offered; to receive; not to refuse or reject; to admit.

To make a picture, photograph, or the like, of; as, to take a group or a scene.

To make selection of; to choose; also, to turn to; to have recourse to; as, to take the road to the right.

To receive as something to be eaten or drunk; to partake of; to swallow; as, to take food or wine.

To give or deliver (a blow to); to strike; hit; as, he took me in the face; he took me a blow on the head.

To employ; to use; to occupy; hence, to demand; to require; as, it takes so much cloth to make a coat; it takes five hours to get to Boston from New York by car.

Not to refuse or balk at; to undertake readily; to clear; as, to take a hedge or fence.

To form a likeness of; to copy; to delineate; to picture; as, to take a picture of a person.

To bear without ill humor or resentment; to submit to; to tolerate; to endure; as, to take a joke; he will take an affront from no man.

To draw; to deduce; to derive.

To assume; to adopt; to acquire, as shape; to permit to one's self; to indulge or engage in; to yield to; to have or feel; to enjoy or experience, as rest, revenge, delight, shame; to form and adopt, as a resolution; - used in general senses, limited by a following complement, in many idiomatic phrases; as, to take a resolution; I take the liberty to say.

To accept the word or offer of; to receive and accept; to bear; to submit to; to enter into agreement with; - used in general senses; as, to take a form or shape.

To lead; to conduct; as, to take a child to church.

To carry; to convey; to deliver to another; to hand over; as, he took the book to the bindery; he took a dictionary with him.

To remove; to withdraw; to deduct; - with from; as, to take the breath from one; to take two from four.

To take hold; to fix upon anything; to have the natural or intended effect; to accomplish a purpose; as, he was inoculated, but the virus did not take.

To please; to gain reception; to succeed.

To move or direct the course; to resort; to betake one's self; to proceed; to go; - usually with to; as, the fox, being hard pressed, took to the hedge.

To admit of being pictured, as in a photograph; as, his face does not take well.

That which is taken, such as the quantity of fish captured at one haul or catch, or the amouont of money collected during one event; as, the box-office take.

The quantity or copy given to a compositor at one time.

The income arising from land or other property;

The act of photographing a scene or part of a scene without interruption

Carry out;

As of time or space;

Take somebody somewhere;

Get into one's hands, take physically;

Take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect;

Interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression;

Take something or somebody with oneself somewhere;

Take into one's possession;

Pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives;

Travel or go by means of a certain kind of transportation, or a certain route;

Receive willingly something given or offered;

Assume, as of positions or roles;

Take into consideration for exemplifying purposes;

Experience or feel or submit to;

Make a film or photograph of something;

Remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, taking off, etc. or remove something abstract;

Serve oneself to, or consume regularly;

Accept or undergo, often unwillingly;

Make use of or accept for some purpose;

Take by force;

Occupy or take on;

Admit into a group or community;

Ascertain or determine by measuring, computing or take a reading from a dial;

Be a student of a certain subject;

Take as an undesirable consequence of some event or state of affairs;

Head into a specified direction;

Aim or direct at; as of blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment;

Be seized or affected in a specified way;

Have with oneself; have on one's person;

Engage for service under a term of contract;

Receive or obtain by regular payment;

Buy, select;

To get into a position of having, e.g., safety, comfort;

Lay claim to; as of an idea;

Be designed to hold or take;

Be capable of holding or containing;

Develop a habit;

Proceed along in a vehicle;

Obtain by winning;

Be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness;

"Take" can sometimes sound more self-centered or aggressive, while "give" generally makes a sentence sound more generous or altruistic.

No, "give" can also relate to intangible items like advice, support, or opportunities.

The fundamental difference lies in direction; "take" is about receiving or removing, often for oneself, while "give" is about providing or transferring to others.

Yes, in phrases like "give and take," they are used together to describe a situation of compromise or mutual exchange.

Yes, "take" can have a positive connotation in contexts like "take a chance" or "take an opportunity," where it implies seizing something beneficial.

Yes, both can be used metaphorically to convey abstract concepts, like "take a stand" or "give one's word."

Yes, "take" has synonyms like "seize" or "grab," and "give" has synonyms like "provide" or "offer," which carry similar connotations.

"Take" often focuses on individual actions or benefits, while "give" is more about relational or social interactions and contributions.

No, due to their fundamentally opposite meanings, they cannot be used interchangeably without altering the sentence's meaning.

In idioms, their meanings can extend beyond the literal, often encapsulating cultural or situational nuances.

Yes, both can be used in passive constructions, e.g., "The book was taken by her" or "The advice was given by him."

In some contexts, like "give someone a hard time," it can carry a negative connotation.

Yes, they can be conjugated to fit past, present, and future tenses in various sentence constructions.

Many cultures have proverbs or sayings that incorporate "take" and "give," often reflecting values around reciprocity, generosity, or self-reliance.

Cultural norms and values can influence the connotations and usage of "take" and "give," especially in idiomatic expressions and social interactions.