bring/take
brɪŋ / teɪk
Toward where you are, or away from it
The picture Something coming through the door into the room you are standing in is bring; the same thing carried out of that room and off down the corridor is take. BRING comes to where you are; TAKE goes away from where you are.
Where the picture shows up in bring/take
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arriving where I am
Bring me the file when you come.
brɪŋ miː ðə faɪl wen juː kʌm
Bring me the file when you come.
Sitting at your desk watching the door, waiting for the file to travel in and land in front of you
When the destination is where the speaker stands, use bring.
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leaving this spot
Take this prescription to the pharmacy downstairs.
teɪk ðɪs prɪˈskrɪpʃn tə ðə ˈfɑːməsi ˌdaʊnˈsteəz
Take this prescription to the pharmacy downstairs.
Out of the consulting room, down the stairs, the slip of paper heading for the pharmacy window
When the destination is away from the speaker, use take.
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walking a person in
Can I bring a friend to the party?
kən aɪ brɪŋ ə frend tə ðə ˈpɑːti
Can I bring a friend to the party?
Standing at the door of the party room with a friend, about to step in together
People move like objects here — walking them in is bring.
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picking it up on the way out
Don't forget to take your umbrella when you leave.
dəʊnt fəˈɡet tə teɪk jɔːr ʌmˈbrelə wen juː liːv
Don't forget to take your umbrella when you leave.
Grabbing the umbrella in the hallway and stepping out through the door
Carrying something away as you go is take.
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both in one sentence
I'll bring lunch and you take the empty boxes back.
aɪl brɪŋ lʌntʃ ənd juː teɪk ði ˈempti ˈbɒksɪz bæk
I'll bring lunch and you take the empty boxes back.
On one side lunch coming in through the office door, on the other empty boxes going out of it
Measured from the same room: in is bring, out is take.
All of it in one picture
A file arriving at the desk you are sitting at is bring; a prescription leaving this consulting room for the pharmacy downstairs is take. Walking a friend in through the party door is bring a friend, and picking up your umbrella on the way out of the building is take your umbrella. The last sentence holds both — lunch comes into the room, the empty boxes go out of it.