Get down to meaning
Get down to means to start doing something seriously and with full attention.
get down to something
get down to · got · getting
Right, everyone. Let’s get down to business.
Get down to meanings and examples
One meaning, 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
Start doing something seriously and with full attention
get down to something
- Right, everyone. Let’s get down to business.
- I can’t get down to work when it’s this noisy.
- She finally got down to writing her thesis in March.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use get down to 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 down to separable?
Get down to is not separable. The task comes at the end: get down to work, get down to it. Use the -ing form for an action: get down to cleaning.
Don’t mix it up with get down. Get down can mean make someone sad (The rain gets me down) or move lower (Get down from that wall!).
Verb tenses for get down to
| Present | I get down to · she gets down to |
|---|---|
| Past | got down to |
| Present perfect | have got down to (US: have gotten down to) |
| -ing form | getting down to |
Common mistakes with get down to
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Let’s get down to write the report.
Right: Let’s get down to writing the report.
Here to is a preposition, so use the -ing form.
Wrong: I got down work at nine.
Right: I got down to work at nine.
You need to before the task.
Wrong: We need to get down with business now.
Right: We need to get down to business now.
Use to, not with.
Synonyms and opposites of get down to
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- get on withcontinue a task you already started
- settle down tostart something calmly and with focus
- knuckle downstart working hard; informal
Opposite
- put offdelay doing something
- mess aroundwaste time doing silly things
Get down to quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1OK, the coffee’s ready. Let’s ___ business.
Get down to business means start the serious part.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use get down to plus the -ing form.
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3Ben made coffee, checked his phone and tidied his desk. At ten, he finally ___ work.
He started working seriously after a delay.
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 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 to FAQ
Questions people ask about get down to.
What does get down to business mean?
It means stop small talk and start the important part. People often say it at the start of a meeting: Shall we get down to business?
What is the difference between get down to and get on with?
Get down to means start seriously, often after a delay. Get on with means continue something you were already doing.
Is get down to formal?
It is neutral to informal and fine at work. In formal writing, use begin or start working on.
Use get down to 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.