Get on meaning
Get on means to go onto a bus, train, plane, boat or bike. It can also mean to have a friendly relationship with someone.
get on something
get on · got · getting
Hurry up and get on! The doors are closing.
Get on meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Go onto a bus, train, plane, boat or bike
get on something
- Hurry up and get on! The doors are closing.
- We got on the tram outside the museum.
- You can’t get on the plane without a boarding pass.
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2
Have a friendly relationship with someone
get on
- My brother and I get on really well now.
- Do you get on with your new manager?
- They never really got on at school.
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3
Manage or make progress in a situation
get on
- How did you get on at the dentist?
- She’s getting on fine at her new school.
- How are you getting on in your new job?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use get on 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 on separable?
Get on is not separable. The bus or train comes after on: get on the bus, get on it. In the other meanings there is no object: We get on well.
The friendly meaning is mostly British. In US English people usually say get along: We get along really well.
Verb tenses for get on
| Present | I get on · she gets on |
|---|---|
| Past | got on |
| Present perfect | have got on (US: have gotten on) |
| -ing form | getting on |
Common mistakes with get on
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I got on the taxi at the station.
Right: I got into the taxi at the station.
For cars and taxis, use get in or get into, not get on.
Wrong: I get on well to my cousin.
Right: I get on well with my cousin.
To name the other person, use with.
Wrong: We got on in the bus at the last stop.
Right: We got on the bus at the last stop.
No in after get on.
Synonyms and opposites of get on
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- get alongthe same friendly meaning, more common in US English
- get inused for cars and taxis, not buses or trains
- boarda formal word you hear at airports and stations
Get on quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The bus is here. Quick, let’s ___!
Get on means go onto a bus or train.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use with before the person.
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3Your friend had a job interview today. What do you ask?
How did you get on? asks how something went.
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 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 toB2start doing something seriously and with full attention
Get on FAQ
Questions people ask about get on.
What does get on someone’s nerves mean?
It means annoy someone a lot. His loud music really gets on my nerves.
What does getting on mean about age?
If someone is getting on, they are getting old: My grandad is getting on a bit now. It’s getting on can also mean it is getting late. Both are informal.
What does how did you get on mean?
It asks how something went, often a test or an interview. Natural answers are Really well, thanks! or Not great, to be honest. It is mostly British.
Use get on 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.