This is the 2664th most frequent Polish word.
brał
"Brał" means "he was taking" or "he took" in English.
Here, 'brał' is used to express involvement or participation in an activity, indicating past attachment or actions.
Jan brał udział w zawodach sportowych.
Jan participated in the sports competition.
In this sentence, 'brał' refers to the act of taking something, demonstrating the action in past tense. Note also the grammatical mismatch here as 'brał' should be 'brała' for 'Mama', forming an interesting discussion point.
Mama brał książkę do czytania.
Mom took a book to read.
This usage of 'brał' indicates assuming or taking upon oneself a duty or responsibility, showing habitual action in the past.