Pick up meaning
Pick up means to take hold of something and lift it up. It can also mean to go somewhere to collect someone or something, often in a car.
pick somebody or something up
pick up · picked · picking
Can you pick up that paper on the floor?
Pick up meanings and examples
5 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
-
1
Take hold of something and lift it up
pick somebody or something up
- Can you pick up that paper on the floor?
- She picked the baby up and held him close.
- Don’t pick it up! It’s hot.
-
2
Go somewhere to collect someone or something, often in a car
pick somebody or something up
- I’ll pick you up at the station at six.
- Can you pick up some bread on the way home?
- Who’s picking up the kids from school today?
-
3
Learn something without trying, by hearing or watching
pick something up
- I picked up some Spanish when I lived in Madrid.
- Kids pick up new words very fast.
- Where did you pick up that funny accent?
-
4
Answer the phone
pick something up
- I called three times, but she didn’t pick up.
- Pick up the phone! It’s been ringing for ages.
- He picked up on the first ring.
-
5
Get better or get faster after a slow time
pick up
- Business usually picks up before the holidays.
- The wind picked up in the afternoon.
- Things will pick up. Don’t worry.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use pick up 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 pick up separable?
Pick up is separable: pick up the box, pick the box up. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: pick it up, pick me up, not pick up it.
When pick up means improve or answer the phone with no object, it stands alone: Sales picked up. She didn’t pick up. A pickup (US) is also a small open truck.
Verb tenses for pick up
| Present | I pick up · she picks up |
|---|---|
| Past | picked up |
| Present perfect | have picked up |
| -ing form | picking up |
Common mistakes with pick up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I’ll pick up you at eight.
Right: I’ll pick you up at eight.
A pronoun goes between pick and up.
Wrong: Can you pick me up from the airport by car?
Right: Can you pick me up from the airport?
Pick up already means collect, usually by car. You do not need by car.
Wrong: I picked up to speak French in Paris.
Right: I picked up French in Paris.
Pick up takes a noun or -ing, not to + verb.
Synonyms and opposites of pick up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- liftraise something; pick up is more usual for small things
- collectmore formal; go and get someone or something
- drop offtake someone somewhere and leave them there
Pick up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1Your keys are on the floor. Can you ___?
Pick up means lift something from a surface.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes between pick and up.
-
3“I picked up a bit of Italian on holiday.” What happened?
Pick up a language means learn it by hearing it.
More phrasal verbs with pick
3 phrasal verbs start with pick. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Pick up FAQ
Questions people ask about pick up.
Pick up vs pick out: what is the difference?
Pick up means lift or collect. Pick out means choose one thing from many. Pick out a dress, then pick it up from the shop.
What does pick up the phone mean?
It means answer a call. Why didn’t you pick up? In the past you lifted the phone, and we still say pick up.
What is a pickup line?
A pickup line is a short, often funny sentence someone says to start talking to a person they find attractive.
What does pick up where we left off mean?
It means start again from the point where you stopped. Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday.
Use pick up 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.