Bring and Take

[Orleander]

is there a correct way to use these words cuz I think there is.

Do I take a cake to the party or do I bring a cake to the party?

[Enmos]

I think both are correct in that context..

[cosmictraveler]

I'd think it would be how they are used in a sentence.

I will bring a cake to the party if you want me to.

I am going to take a cake to Beths' party today.

[Nesm]

"I will bring the cake" :
Spoken to the host of the party (in reference to the location at which the cake will end up).

"Can you bring a cake?" :
Spoken by the host to you (in reference to the location at which the cake will end up).

"I will take a cake" :
Spoken to another person (anybody but your friend who's party it is), in reference to a location other than where you currently are.

Depends who you're talking to and where you're currently situated.

[John99]

I have to take an exam this morning.

.vs

I have to bring an exam this morning.

[Nesm]

You'd attend, write, pass, fail, ruin, cheat on an exam. The exam is not a thing which is being moved from one place to another. I don't think either one (bring or take) is the correct terminology with regards to the exam.

Sorry. The use of 'take', such as in the context of an exam, is acceptable. Just as 'could you please take a seat' is acceptable. There is no need to use or consider 'bring' in such a context. As soon as you ask "Is it bring or take?", then you're discussing it in the context of a thing in relation to a person or place.

[Fraggle Rocker]

"Take" emphasizes the pickup. "Bring" emphasizes the delivery.

"I took your Sheryl Crow CD." I don't really care where you're taking it TO, what matters to me is that I can't play it tonight.

"I'll bring a Sheryl Crow CD to the party tonight." I don't really care where you're bringing it FROM, what matters to me is that we'll be able to play it at the party.

Obviously you can fill in more information so the distinction becomes less important.

"I'm taking Fraggle's CD to the party tonight," is probably the way you would say it to my wife. "I'm bringing Fraggle's CD to the party tonight," is probably the way you would say it to the person who's planning the party. To someone in between there's not always a clear preference.

If my wife were going to be at the party, the emphasis might not matter at all. The choice becomes a coin-toss.

If it doesn't matter it could be settled by euphony. You'd probably rather say, "I'm taking a brisket," or "I'm bringing a table," rather than "I'm bringing a brisket," or "I'm taking a table." It just rolls off the tongue and into the ear a little more smoothly.

Chinese makes it easier. Na means "carry." Na qu, "carry go," means "take" away from here toward somewhere else. Na lai, "carry come," means "bring" away from somewhere else toward here. If the distinction is unimportant or just plain ambiguous, you leave the extra word out and just say na, "carry." This is one of the many ways Chinese economizes on unnecessary syllables, so the language is spoken rather slowly and understandably.