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Glite Dictionary
to take a picture

to take a picture

166 1.4
To make a photo using a camera
  • phrasal verb
  • /teɪk ə ˈpɪkʧər/
translation icon : sacar una foto
  • I asked my friend to take a picture of us at the concert.
  • take a picture with a camera

Then he goes, hey, can I take a picture of you?

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Examples

  • Hey, can you take a picture of me for my social media?

  • Why don't you take a picture?

    Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

  • Then he goes, hey, can I take a picture of you?

    You Should Know Podcast

  • I want to take a picture of me and Ben.

  • Doc, can you take a picture of all of us?

    Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

  • "Yes, all we have to do is take a picture and send it in."

    Fiction book (2001)

  • I have a right to take a picture if I want.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Will you take a picture with me, Princess?

    The Princess Diaries (2001)

  • How about if we try to take a picture of the birds?

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I'm just going to take a picture of that on my phone.

Synonyms

to shoot
vsto take a picture
397 3.2

To take a photograph or film

focuses on still photographic images rather than filming
to capture
vsto take a picture
  • Specialized
211 3.3

To record video, images, or sound from a device

is limited to using a camera to make a photographic image
to photograph
vsto take a picture
202 2.1

To take a picture of a person, place, or thing with a camera

is the neutral everyday expression for the same act
to take photo
vsto take a picture
136 1.0

To use a camera or phone to make a picture

is the more general everyday phrasing for the same action
to snap
vsto take a picture
  • Informal
47 2.8

Take a quick informal photograph

is the general act without emphasis on speed or style
to capture the moment
vsto take a picture
5 3.7

To take a photo or short video that shows the scene and people's feelings clearly

refers to the camera act without intent to preserve emotion

Antonyms

to erase
144 1.6

Remove marks, writing, or digital files so they are no longer visible

How Careful

to compose
102 3.5
to take a picture
166 1.4
to snap
  • Informal
47 2.8

Surface Forms

take a picture infinitive
taking a picture present participle
takes a picture third person singular
took a picture past
taken a picture past participle

Morphology

take + a + picture

The meaning 'to use a camera to capture an image' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'take' (to capture) with 'picture' (an image); the indefinite article 'a' does not change the compositional meaning. This straightforward verb + noun object structure is cross-linguistically common and predictable, so an average B1 learner who knows the constituent words will understand the MWE.

Etymology

The phrase take a picture comes from the idea that a camera 'takes' a scene as if picking it up and keeping it, so the view becomes a saved image; the verb take is like picking up and picture is the kept image. So, to take a picture means 'to use a camera to make and keep an image'.