Get by meaning
Get by means to manage to live or do something with just enough money, skill or help. It can also mean to move past someone or something in a narrow space.
get by
get by · got · getting
We get by on one salary.
Get by 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
Manage to live or do something with just enough money, skill or help
get by
- We get by on one salary.
- My Spanish isn’t great, but I can get by.
- How do students get by in such an expensive city?
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2
Move past someone or something in a narrow space
get by
- Excuse me, could I get by, please?
- The van was so wide that we couldn’t get by.
- Move your bag so people can get by.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use get by 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 by separable?
Get by has no object. To say what you use, add on, with or in: get by on £900 a month, get by with a little help, get by in English.
Get by means you have just enough, not a lot. We get by tells people money is tight, so don’t use it when life is easy.
Verb tenses for get by
| Present | I get by · she gets by |
|---|---|
| Past | got by |
| Present perfect | have got by (US: have gotten by) |
| -ing form | getting by |
Common mistakes with get by
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I can get by French on holiday.
Right: I can get by in French on holiday.
Use in before a language.
Wrong: They get by from one salary.
Right: They get by on one salary.
For money, use on.
Wrong: I was nervous, but I got by the exam.
Right: I was nervous, but I got through the exam.
For finishing a hard test, use get through or pass.
Synonyms and opposites of get by
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- managethe general word; get by adds that it is not easy
- make ends meethave just enough money to pay the bills
- get throughreach the end of a hard time or task
Opposite
- strugglefind it very hard; you are not managing well
- live comfortablyhave more than enough money
Get by quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Money is tight, but we ___ on my part-time job.
Get by means manage with just enough.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use in before the language.
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3Someone is standing in a narrow corridor. You say: Sorry, can I ___?
Here get by means move past someone.
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 alongB1like each other and be friendly
- get aroundB1travel or move from place to place
- get togetherB1meet other people, usually to spend time together
- 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 by FAQ
Questions people ask about get by.
What does just getting by mean?
It means you are managing, but only just, often with money. How’s life? Oh, I’m just getting by.
What is the difference between get by and get through?
Get by means manage with little. Get through means reach the end of something hard: We got through a tough winter.
Is get by informal?
It is a little informal but fine in most speech and writing. In formal writing, use manage or survive.
Use get by 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.