prender

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French prendre (“to take”), from Latin prehendere (“to take”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɛndə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -ɛndə(ɹ)

Noun

prender

1. (law) The power or right of taking a thing before it is offered

References

• “prender”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

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Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician and Old Galician-Portuguese prender, from Latin prēndere, variant of prehendere, present active infinitive of prehendō (“I seize; I detain”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pɾenˈdeɾ]

Verb

1. to capture, catch, seize, grab

   Synonyms: cachar, capturar, coller

2. to light, to set light, to set fire, to set in fire

   Synonym: acender

3. to root

   Synonyms: arraigar, enraizar

4. to tie, fasten, attach

   Synonyms: amarrar, atar, trincar

5. first/third-person singular future subjunctive of prender
6. first/third-person singular personal infinitive of prender

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “prender”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “prend”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “prender”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “prender”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “prender”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

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Interlingua

Etymology

French prendre

Verb

prender

1. to take

Conjugation

    Conjugation of prender

infinitive		prender
participle		present	perfect
		prendente	prendite
active		simple	perfect
	present	prende	ha prendite
	past	prendeva	habeva prendite
	future	prendera	habera prendite
	conditional	prenderea	haberea prendite
	imperative	prende
passive		simple	perfect
	present	es prendite	ha essite prendite
	past	esseva prendite	habeva essite prendite
	future	essera prendite	habera essite prendite
	conditional	esserea prendite	haberea essite prendite
	imperative	sia prendite

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese prender, from Latin prēndere, variant of prehendere (“to seize; to detain”), from prae- (“before”) + *hendō (“to take, to seize”) (not attested without prefix), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾẽ.ˈde(ɻ)/

• Audio (Oporto, Portugal):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pren‧der

Verb

1. to arrest (to seize and take into legal custody)

   Synonyms: encadear, encarcerar, enjaular

   Antonyms: liberar, libertar, soltar

2. to attach or bind

   Synonyms: conectar, grudar, ligar, jungir, juntar, unir, vincular

   Antonyms: desconectar, desprender, separar

3. to restrain; to restrict

   Synonym: restringir

4. to become close (emotionally) to someone

   Synonym: vincular

   Antonym: desvincular

Derived terms

• prender a respiração

Related terms

• comprender
• desprender
• desprendimento
• empreender
• prendedor

• prendido
• prendimento
• preso
• prisão
• repreender

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Spanish

Etymology

From Old Spanish prender, from Latin prēndere, from earlier prehendere, from prae- (“before”) + *hendere (“take, seize”) (not attested without a prefix), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾenˈdeɾ/ [pɾẽn̪ˈd̪eɾ]
• Hyphenation: pren‧der

Verb

prender (first-person singular present prendo, first-person singular preterite prendí, past participle prendido)

1. to catch, to arrest

   Synonyms: detener, arrestar, aprehender

2. to take, to pick up

   Synonyms: tomar, coger

3. to light, to ignite

   Synonym: encender

4. to turn on (light, machine etc.)

   Synonym: encender

Conjugation

    Conjugation of prender (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			prender
gerund			prendiendo
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		prendido		prendida
		plural		prendidos		prendidas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	prendo	prendestú prendésvos	prende	prendemos	prendéis	prenden
	imperfect	prendía	prendías	prendía	prendíamos	prendíais	prendían
	preterite	prendí	prendiste	prendió	prendimos	prendisteis	prendieron
	future	prenderé	prenderás	prenderá	prenderemos	prenderéis	prenderán
	conditional	prendería	prenderías	prendería	prenderíamos	prenderíais	prenderían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	prenda	prendastú prendásvos2	prenda	prendamos	prendáis	prendan
	imperfect (ra)	prendiera	prendieras	prendiera	prendiéramos	prendierais	prendieran
	imperfect (se)	prendiese	prendieses	prendiese	prendiésemos	prendieseis	prendiesen
	future1	prendiere	prendieres	prendiere	prendiéremos	prendiereis	prendieren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		prendetú prendévos	prenda	prendamos	prended	prendan
	negative		no prendas	no prenda	no prendamos	no prendáis	no prendan

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of prender

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive prender
	dative	prenderme	prenderte	prenderle, prenderse	prendernos	prenderos	prenderles, prenderse
	accusative	prenderme	prenderte	prenderlo, prenderla, prenderse	prendernos	prenderos	prenderlos, prenderlas, prenderse
with gerund prendiendo
	dative	prendiéndome	prendiéndote	prendiéndole, prendiéndose	prendiéndonos	prendiéndoos	prendiéndoles, prendiéndose
	accusative	prendiéndome	prendiéndote	prendiéndolo, prendiéndola, prendiéndose	prendiéndonos	prendiéndoos	prendiéndolos, prendiéndolas, prendiéndose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative prende
	dative	préndeme	préndete	préndele	préndenos	not used	préndeles
	accusative	préndeme	préndete	préndelo, préndela	préndenos	not used	préndelos, préndelas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative prendé
	dative	prendeme	prendete	prendele	prendenos	not used	prendeles
	accusative	prendeme	prendete	prendelo, prendela	prendenos	not used	prendelos, prendelas
with formal second-person singular imperative prenda
	dative	préndame	not used	préndale, préndase	préndanos	not used	préndales
	accusative	préndame	not used	préndalo, préndala, préndase	préndanos	not used	préndalos, préndalas
with first-person plural imperative prendamos
	dative	not used	prendámoste	prendámosle	prendámonos	prendámoos	prendámosles
	accusative	not used	prendámoste	prendámoslo, prendámosla	prendámonos	prendámoos	prendámoslos, prendámoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative prended
	dative	prendedme	not used	prendedle	prendednos	prendeos	prendedles
	accusative	prendedme	not used	prendedlo, prendedla	prendednos	prendeos	prendedlos, prendedlas
with formal second-person plural imperative prendan
	dative	préndanme	not used	préndanle	préndannos	not used	préndanles, préndanse
	accusative	préndanme	not used	préndanlo, préndanla	préndannos	not used	préndanlos, préndanlas, préndanse

Derived terms

• desprender
• prender fuego
• prendimiento
• sorprender

Related terms

• prendedor
• presa
• preso
• prensión
• prisión

• aprender
• comprender
• emprender
• reprender

Further reading

• “prender”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28