A comprehensive explanation of the difference between the English verbs carry and bring, including usage rules and examples.
The verbs carry and bring both involve moving something from one place to another, but they differ in perspective and context. Bring implies moving something toward the speaker or a specific location, while carry focuses on the act of holding or supporting the item during the move. Understanding this distinction helps you choose the right verb based on the direction of movement and the role of the speaker.
- Bring: Move something toward the speaker or a designated point.
- Carry: Hold or support something while moving, regardless of direction.
- Both verbs can involve people or objects, but bring emphasizes destination and carry emphasizes how the item is held.
- Using the correct verb depends on the point of view and the focus of the sentence.
Bring
Bring is used when someone moves something toward the speaker or the location of the listener. It answers the question: "Can you bring this here?" The focus is on the destination.
- Use bring when the movement is toward the speaker or the place where the speaker is.
- It often implies that the item is being moved from a different location to the speaker’s location.
- Bring can be used in future or imperative sentences to request or describe movement toward the speaker.
Examples: - Can you bring me a glass of water? - Please bring your homework to class tomorrow. - She brought her friend to the party.
What is the focus when using the verb 'bring'?
The destination or endpoint of the movement
Using 'bring' emphasizes where the object is going, not how it is being moved.
Carry
Carry describes the action of holding, supporting, or transporting something as you move. It answers the question: "Who is carrying the box?" The focus is on the act of holding or the effort involved.
- Use carry when describing the act of holding or supporting something while moving.
- It does not specify the direction of movement relative to the speaker.
- Carry can be used for both short and long distances and emphasizes the physical action.
Examples: - He carried the heavy suitcase up the stairs. - I’m carrying groceries in my backpack. - They carried the injured player off the field.
Direction and Perspective
The key difference between bring and carry lies in direction and viewpoint:
- Bring = Move something toward the speaker or listener (destination-oriented).
- Carry = Support or hold something while moving (action-oriented).
When deciding which to use, consider where the movement is going and whose perspective you are using.
Using Carry Instead of Bring
Incorrect: Can you carry me a glass of water?
Correct: Can you bring me a glass of water?
- Carry is incorrect here because the focus is on moving the glass to the speaker, not just holding it.
- Use bring when asking someone to move something toward you.
Using Bring Instead of Carry
Incorrect: She brought the box up the stairs.
Correct: She carried the box up the stairs.
- While bring isn’t grammatically wrong, it’s less precise if the focus is on the effort of holding the box.
- Use carry to emphasize the physical action.
Overusing Bring in Descriptions
Incorrect: He brought the groceries to the car.
Better: He carried the groceries to the car.
- If the focus is on the effort or the act of holding, carry is more appropriate.
- Bring is better for emphasizing movement toward a point of view.
Everyday Situations
| Bring | Carry |
|---|---|
| Bring your coat inside. | I’m carrying my coat. |
| Can you bring the phone here? | She’s carrying the phone in her bag. |
| Please bring the package to the door. | He’s carrying the package up the stairs. |
Instructions and Requests
| Bring | Carry |
|---|---|
| Bring your ID to the front desk. | Carry your belongings with you. |
| Bring the report to the meeting. | Carry the report in a folder. |
| Bring some snacks to the party. | I’m carrying snacks in my bag. |
Describing Actions
| Bring | Carry |
|---|---|
| She brought her friend to the event. | She carried her friend’s backpack. |
| He brought the books to class. | He carried the books on his shoulder. |
| They brought the equipment outside. | They carried the equipment carefully. |
Ella llevó la mochila de su amiga.
She carried her friend’s backpack.
'Llevó' (carried) emphasizes the action of holding or supporting the backpack.
- Bring focuses on moving something toward the speaker or listener. It’s about the destination.
- Carry focuses on holding or supporting something while moving. It’s about the action.
- Use bring when the direction is toward “here” or “us.”
- Use carry when describing the effort or method of transporting something.
- Pay attention to perspective and focus to choose the correct verb.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
