Get along meaning
Get along means to like each other and be friendly. It can also mean to manage or make progress in a situation.
get along
get along · got · getting
My cat and dog get along fine.
Get along meanings and examples
2 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
Like each other and be friendly
get along
- My cat and dog get along fine.
- She doesn’t get along with her stepdad.
- Do your kids get along with each other?
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2
Manage or make progress in a situation
get along
- How are you getting along with your driving lessons?
- We’re getting along fine without a car.
- How did you get along in Japan without the language?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use get along 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 get along separable?
Get along has no direct object. To name the other person, add with: I get along with my neighbours. Never say get along my neighbours.
Get along and get on mean the same in the friendly sense. Get along is more common in US English; British speakers often say get on.
Verb tenses for get along
| Present | I get along · she gets along |
|---|---|
| Past | got along |
| Present perfect | have got along (US: have gotten along) |
| -ing form | getting along |
Common mistakes with get along
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: We get along each other very well.
Right: We get along with each other very well.
You need with before the person.
Wrong: I get along with him good.
Right: I get along with him well.
After get along, use the adverb well.
Wrong: I don’t get along with your plan.
Right: I don’t go along with your plan.
For agreeing with an idea, use go along with.
Synonyms and opposites of get along
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- get onthe same friendly meaning, more common in British English
- hit it offlike each other as soon as you meet
Opposite
- fall outstop being friends after an argument
- not see eye to eyeoften disagree with someone
Get along quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1My sister and I argue all the time. We don’t really ___.
Get along means be friendly with each other.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use get along with before the person.
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3Your friend just moved abroad. What do you ask?
How are you getting along? asks how things are going.
More phrasal verbs with get
All phrasal verbs with get, by level, with an exercise
19 phrasal verbs start with get. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- get upA1get out of bed after you sleep
- get onA2go onto a bus, train, plane, boat or bike
- get offA2leave a bus, train, plane, boat or bike
- get backA2return home or to a place where you were before
- get inA2enter a car, a taxi, a building or a small space
- get outA2leave a car, a room or a building
- get intoA2go inside a car, a building or a small space
- get overB1feel better after an illness
- get aroundB1travel or move from place to place
- get togetherB1meet other people, usually to spend time together
- get byB2manage to live or do something with just enough money, skill or help
- get throughB2pass an exam or reach the next stage of a competition
- get awayB2escape from a person or a place
- get away withB2do something wrong and not be punished for it
- get aheadB2be successful in your job or in life
- get on withB2start or continue doing something, especially work, after a pause
- get out ofB2avoid doing something you should do, often with an excuse
- get down toB2start doing something seriously and with full attention
Get along FAQ
Questions people ask about get along.
Is get along informal?
It is neutral, fine in speech and in most writing. In a formal report you might write have a good working relationship instead.
What does get along like a house on fire mean?
It means get along very well, often from the first meeting. It is informal and mostly British: We met at a wedding and got along like a house on fire.
Can things get along, or only people?
Usually only people and animals. For colours or clothes that look good together, say go with: That scarf goes with your coat.
Use get along 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.