Let in meaning
Let in means to allow someone or something to come into a place. It can also mean to tell someone a secret, used as let someone in on.
let somebody or something in
let in · let · letting
Can you let the cat in? It’s raining.
Let in 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
Allow someone or something to come into a place
let somebody or something in
- Can you let the cat in? It’s raining.
- The guard wouldn’t let us in without tickets.
- These old windows let in a lot of cold air.
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2
Tell someone a secret, used as let someone in on
let somebody in
- Can I let you in on a little secret?
- Nobody let me in on the surprise party plan.
- She finally let her parents in on the news.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use let 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 let in separable?
Let in is separable, and a person usually goes in the middle: let Tom in, let him in. With things like light and air, the object can come after: let in the sun.
Let yourself in means open the door with your own key: I’ll leave the key so you can let yourself in. Let into is used with the place: let us into the club.
Verb tenses for let in
| Present | I let in · she lets in |
|---|---|
| Past | let in |
| Present perfect | have let in |
| -ing form | letting in |
Common mistakes with let in
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Someone’s at the door. Can you let in them?
Right: Someone’s at the door. Can you let them in?
A pronoun goes between let and in.
Wrong: They didn’t let us to come in.
Right: They didn’t let us in.
Let in already means allow to enter; or say let us come in, with no to.
Wrong: The doorman let in us the club.
Right: The doorman let us into the club.
With the place, use let someone into.
Synonyms and opposites of let in
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- admitformal, allow someone to enter
- open the door toopen the door so someone can come in
- check inregister when you arrive at a hotel or airport
Let in quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The dog is scratching at the door. Can you ___ it ___?
Let in means allow to come inside.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes in the middle and there is no to.
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3“Let me in on the joke!” What does the speaker want?
Let someone in on something means tell them about it.
More phrasal verbs with let
3 phrasal verbs start with let. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Let in FAQ
Questions people ask about let in.
What does let yourself in mean?
It means open the door and come in on your own, usually with a key: The door’s open, just let yourself in.
What does let someone in on mean?
It means tell someone a secret or a plan that others know: They let me in on the surprise.
Let in or let into?
Use let in alone: let me in. Use let into with the place: let me into the building.
Use let 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.