Look after meaning
Look after means to take care of someone or something and keep them safe and well. It can also mean to be responsible for something, often at work.
look after somebody or something
look after · looked · looking
My grandma looks after my little brother on Fridays.
Look after meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Take care of someone or something and keep them safe and well
look after somebody or something
- My grandma looks after my little brother on Fridays.
- Can you look after my plants while I’m away?
- The nurses looked after him very well.
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2
Be responsible for something, often at work
look after something
- Sara looks after our biggest clients.
- Who looks after the money in your club?
- I look after the website, and Tom does the emails.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use look after 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 look after separable?
Look after is not separable. The object always comes after it: look after the kids, look after them. Never say look them after.
It always needs an object. You look after someone or something; for yourself, say look after yourself.
Verb tenses for look after
| Present | I look after · she looks after |
|---|---|
| Past | looked after |
| Present perfect | have looked after |
| -ing form | looking after |
Common mistakes with look after
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Can you look my bag after?
Right: Can you look after my bag?
Look after is not separable. Keep look and after together.
Wrong: I’m looking after my keys. Have you seen them?
Right: I’m looking for my keys. Have you seen them?
Look for means try to find. Look after means take care of.
Wrong: She looks after to her mother.
Right: She looks after her mother.
No to after look after. The person comes straight after it.
Synonyms and opposites of look after
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- take care ofthe same meaning, and more common in American English
- keep an eye onwatch someone or something for a short time
- care forlook after someone who is ill, old or very young
Opposite
- neglectnot give someone or something the care they need
Look after quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Who will ___ the dog when we’re on holiday? Which phrasal verb fits?
Look after means take care of.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Look after is not separable, and it needs no of.
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3“I look after the accounts at work.” What does it mean?
At work, look after something means be responsible for it.
More phrasal verbs with look
All phrasal verbs with look, by level, with an exercise
13 phrasal verbs start with look. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- look forA1try to find someone or something
- look upA2find information in a dictionary, a book or online
- look forward toB1feel happy about something that is going to happen
- look outB1be careful, because something bad may happen
- look atA1turn your eyes towards someone or something
- look aroundB1walk around a place and look at the things in it
- look intoB2examine the facts about a problem to find out the cause
- look backB2think about something that happened in the past
- look down onB2think that you are better than someone
- look up toB2admire and respect someone
- look overC2check something quickly, to see if it is right
- look throughB2read or check something quickly, page by page
Look after FAQ
Questions people ask about look after.
Is look after British or American English?
Both understand it. Look after is more common in British English. Americans often say take care of.
What is the difference between look after and look for?
Look after means take care of: I look after my niece. Look for means try to find: I’m looking for my niece. Where is she?
What does look after yourself mean?
It is a friendly way to say goodbye. It means take care and stay well. You can also use it to tell someone to rest when they are tired or ill.
What is the past tense of look after?
Looked after. The forms are look after, looks after, looked after and looking after: She looked after us all week.
Use look after 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.