The government can take private property, and the only question the Constitution leaves open is what it must pay. This article explains how that works in practice: who may condemn, what counts as a public use, how compensation is measured, and what an owner can actually do at each stage. It covers the difference between a total taking, a partial taking with severance damages, and an easement, and it explains why the valuation date and the highest and best use determination usually matter more than any argument about public purpose. It also explains inverse condemnation, where the government takes without admitting it, and how regulatory takings claims differ from physical ones. Relocation assistance, business damages, and the treatment of tenants and lienholders each receive their own discussion. Examples run throughout, drawn from road widenings, utility easements, and redevelopment projects. The article is written for owners, tenants, and lawyers encountering a condemnation for the first time.