Check in meaning
Check in means to tell a hotel or airport desk that you have arrived. It can also mean to give your bags to the airline to put on the plane.
check in
check in · checked · checking
We checked in at the hotel at three.
Check in meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Tell a hotel or airport desk that you have arrived
check in
- We checked in at the hotel at three.
- You can check in online the day before your flight.
- Have you checked in yet, or are you still in the queue?
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2
Give your bags to the airline to put on the plane
check something in
- I only have hand luggage, so I won’t check anything in.
- How much does it cost to check in a second bag?
- We checked our suitcases in and went for breakfast.
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3
Contact someone to see if everything is OK
check in
- I’m just checking in to see how your first week is going.
- Please check in with me when you land.
- My manager checks in with the team every Monday.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use check in in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is check in separable?
When you arrive, check in has no object: We checked in at noon. Add at for the place: check in at the hotel. For bags, it is separable: check in a bag, check it in.
The noun is check-in, with a hyphen: the check-in desk, online check-in. Check into a hotel is also correct: We checked into a small hotel.
Verb tenses for check in
| Present | I check in · she checks in |
|---|---|
| Past | checked in |
| Present perfect | have checked in |
| -ing form | checking in |
Common mistakes with check in
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: We checked in the hotel at six.
Right: We checked in at the hotel at six.
Use at before the place, or say checked into the hotel.
Wrong: Where is the check in desk?
Right: Where is the check-in desk?
Before a noun, use the hyphen: check-in desk.
Wrong: I want to check in it, not carry it.
Right: I want to check it in, not carry it.
A pronoun goes between check and in.
Synonyms and opposites of check in
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- registerwrite your name on arrival, more formal
- sign inwrite your name when you arrive at an office or event
- drop offleave a bag or person somewhere
Opposite
Check in quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Our flight is at nine, so we need to ___ by seven.
You check in at the airport before your flight.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use check in at a place, or check into it.
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3A message from your boss: “Just checking in. How are you?” What does she want?
Check in with someone means contact them to see if all is well.
More phrasal verbs with check
2 phrasal verbs start with check. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Check in FAQ
Questions people ask about check in.
Is it check in or check-in?
Check in, two words, is the verb: We checked in. Check-in, with a hyphen, is the noun or adjective: the check-in desk.
Check in or check into?
Both work for hotels. Check in at the hotel or check into the hotel. For flights, say check in for a flight.
What does just checking in mean in an email?
It is a friendly way to start a message when you want to know how someone is or how a task is going.
Use check in in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.