to bring to the table
48
3.9
- phrasal verb
:
aportar
- "In a community of project people, what do you bring to the table to make a difference?"
- expertise brought to the table
- different ideas brought to the table
- teachers brought to the table strategies
For guys, though, what do you bring to the table and what do you have to offer?
- For guys, though, what do you bring to the table and what do you have to offer?
- I don't bring to the table what I used to.
- And they always were bringing things to the table that I hadn't really like thought of.
- You know, just good people who bring value to the table, who bring value to your life.
- He knows what he brought to the table and he knows his value and it's worth.
- Like, is there a difference between what you brought to the table?
- So I'm like, what else can I bring to the table?
- The charm, charisma, confidence, whatever else they bring to the table will feel real for a moment in time.
- What exactly is it that they bring to the figurative table here?
- Now, what does LVMH bring to the table that she could not otherwise have done on her own?
- And so to do that, you really have to ask yourself, what do I bring to the table outside of finances?
- That's another perspective he brings to the table as well.
Examples
-
What do you think you can possibly bring to the table at this point in the game?
-
University of Chicago brings to the table incredible basic science strength.
-
Now what you bring to that group, what you bring to the table is your body of work.
-
For guys, though, what do you bring to the table and what do you have to offer?
-
And what can you bring to the table and what do you need, right?
-
You know, just good people who bring value to the table, who bring value to your life.
-
So their energy that they bring to the table plays a huge role.
-
I think you definitely bring something to the table.
-
We decided to look for someone who could bring more to the table than excellent legal skills.
Academic text (1995) -
In the meeting, everyone agreed to bring to the table their unique skills and experiences.
Synonyms
883
2.7
To give money, help, or ideas to make something work
31
5.1
To use effort or knowledge to solve a problem
5
3.9
To present an idea or plan for people to discuss
Antonyms
How Useful
∞
1.5
48
3.9
883
2.7
∞
3.0
∞
1.6
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
bring + to + the + table
The components 'bring' and 'table' give a plausible literal image (physically bringing something to a table) so a learner can infer a sense of offering or contributing, but the meaning requires a metaphorical mapping from physical placement to abstract contribution in a discussion. This figurative extension is common but not strictly compositional or universally obvious to B1 learners without exposure, so it is best described as only partially transparent.
Etymology
Bring to the table may come from the image of someone carrying food or tools onto a shared table. When you bring something to the table, you put it where everyone can use it, so the phrase now means 'to contribute something useful'.