I'll take you home / I'll bring you home

I'm not an English major, but I am a native speaker.

"I'll bring you home" is definitely not invalid; it's a perfectly fine thing to say, and I think your meaning is correct.

However, "I'll take you home" does not imply that you live at the same place, or that you're going to be staying over. I think it just implies a sort-of dominance on the role of the speaker. I would imagine this being said by a person speaking to someone who is more drunk than they are, or by a speaker who knows the way home better than the other person. Although, to be fair, it probably depends a lot more on who says it, how they say it, and exactly how they phrase it and not so much on bring versus take. For example, "I can take you to your place" has essentially the same meaning as "I'll bring you home."

I think the most natural thing to say in the case that you are both going back to the same place, or both heading home is "Let's go home."


Funny how you said "both seem correct," because that's exactly what I thought upon reading your question. I have no problem with the distinction you delineated, yet I wouldn't object to accepting them as synonymous, either.

Oftentimes, words can be "bent" to mean something more specific, or more general, depending on the context; this is a great example of that phenomenon. I may concur with your differentiation – but, at the same time, I would never argue with my designated driver, "No! Don't bring me home – take me home!" (at least, not unless I had had WAY too much to drink). Nor would I protest, "No! Don't take me home - bring me home!" unless I had had too much to drink, and she was particularly good-looking. (But, even in that case, she'd probably only take me home anyways).


I am a native speaker, and I don't think I would ever say "I will bring you home." if I were taking someone away from an establishment.

I might say "I will bring you home." if speaking to a boyfriend or girlfriend who I wanted to bring home to meet my parents.

So, sorry Abel, I side with the "She" in your discussion (except that I just gave a valid use of "bring you home").