Bring vs Carry

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Bring

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 verb

Carry

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 verb

	Bring	Carry
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/brɪŋ/","/brɪŋz/","/brɔːt/","/ˈbrɪŋɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/brɪŋ/","/brɪŋz/","/brɔːt/","/ˈbrɪŋɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈkæri/","/ˈkæriz/","/ˈkærid/","/ˈkæriɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈkæri/","/ˈkæriz/","/ˈkærid/","/ˈkæriɪŋ/"]/
Meaning	To carry something to a place.	To hold something and move it from one place to another.
Example	Please bring your books to class tomorrow.	I will carry the groceries into the house.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A1	A1
Part of speech	verb	verb
Collocations	bring a gift, bring it back, bring to mind	carry a bag, carry out an assignment, carry someone’s weight, carry a message
Antonyms	take	drop, leave, abandon
Common mistakes	Confused with 'take' — remember 'bring' is to the speaker's location, 'take' is away from it., Using 'bring' with uncountable nouns incorrectly, like 'bring water' instead of 'bring a bottle of water.'	Using 'carry' without an object, like saying 'I will carry.', Confusing 'carry' with 'take' when implying movement without physical hold., Incorrectly using 'carry' in passive voice constructions.
Usage notes	Use 'bring' when you are talking about moving something from one place to another where the speaker is. Avoid using it when the object is not physically moving.	Use 'carry' when talking about physically moving something. It's appropriate in most contexts but can be less formal in casual conversations.

See it in real clips

Breaking Bad › S1 E6

and then you walk in here and you bring me more meth?

Maybe he didn't bring it up because it would have

Breaking Bad › S1 E2

Bring me some water, would you?

Breaking Bad › S1 E6

and then you walk in here and you bring me more meth?

Maybe he didn't bring it up because it would have

Bring

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

You carry the fates of us all, little one.

Band Of Brothers › S1 E1

Carry on.

House Of Dragons › S1 E1

Now you must promise to carry it

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

You carry the fates of us all, little one.

Band Of Brothers › S1 E1

Carry on.

Carry

Frequently asked questions: Bring vs Carry

What's the difference between Bring and Carry?

Bring: To carry something to a place. Carry: To hold something and move it from one place to another.

Are Bring and Carry the same CEFR level?

Bring: A1, Carry: A1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Bring and Carry?

Bring: verb, Carry: verb.

Can you show an example of each?

Bring: Please bring your books to class tomorrow. Carry: I will carry the groceries into the house.

Can I use Bring and Carry interchangeably?

Not always. Bring and Carry are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.