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In this post we’re going to look at phrasal verbs with get. Get is a really common verb with lots of meanings, so you can probably imagine that there are a lot of phrasal verbs with it. To make things more manageable, we’ll focus on simple phrasal verbs in this post, that is, phrasal verbs made of get and one particle. (Check out this post for complex phrasal verbs with get.)

Get up! It’s morning!

Let’s start with a really common phrasal verb with get that you’ve probably heard: get up. Get up means to move from a sitting or lying position to a standing one. It can mean to leave bed after sleeping, or it can mean to stand after sitting or lying.

• What time do you get up during the week?
• I got up late today, but I usually get up pretty early.
• You should get up and do something. You’ve been sitting in that chair all day!

When do we get to the city?

Get to is another very common phrasal verb with get. It means the same thing as arrive at, but it used much more commonly, especially in everyday conversation English.

• What time are you getting to the restaurant tonight?
• I got to the office late this morning because traffic was terrible.
• We’ve just gotten to Milan, and we’ll be staying here for a few days before going to Venice.
  (*Remember that gotten is the past participle of get in North American English; in the UK and other English-speaking countries you’ll hear have got.)

If someone or something gets to you, it affects you, upsets you, or causes you to think or feel a certain way.

• Kids are mean and tease one another. Don’t let them get to you.
• Greg is a jerk. He always insults everyone, so just ignore him and don’t let him get to you.
• There’s so much bad news today, it really gets to me. I just can’t watch TV any more.

What time did you get in?

Get in also means to arrive, but typically it’s used to mean arrive home. When used with public transportation, especially planes or trains, it can mean arrive at the airport/station.

• I’m exhausted today. I didn’t get in until after 2am last night.
• What time did you get in last night? I didn’t hear the car.
• The plane just got in, and I have to get my baggage, so I’ll be at the airport for a while.

We just got back last night.

Get back means return home, after a vacation, a trip to the store, or anything else that takes you away from your home.

• We were away on vacation but we just got back last night.
• I’ve just gotten back from the supermarket. Can you help me unload the groceries?
• Look at your tan! Where are you just getting back from?

Get in the taxi, we have to go!

Get in or get into means enter an enclosed space, for example a car or a house. When it’s used with things you can travel in, you typically only use it with vehicles that you can only sit in, for example a car. It can also mean be accepted to a school, university, or something similar.

• Get in the car! We’re late and have to leave right now!
• I can’t get into the house, I lost my keys and all of the windows are locked.
• Did you get into the college you wanted?

Get out right now!

The opposite of get in(to) is get out (of). It has the same range of meanings.

• I can’t get out of the car. The door’s locked!
• The kids want to get out of the house, but it’s been raining all day.
• Josh can’t wait to get out of college and look for a job.

Get out can also mean leave home, go out socially, or even be released from prison.

• I’m really looking forward to having dinner with my friends. I don’t get out much any more.
• You always just sit home and watch TV. Don’t you ever want to get out and do something?
• Bill was sentenced to three years in prison, but if he doesn’t cause any trouble he’ll probably get out sooner.

Idiomatically, if you tell someone something, and they respond “get out!” it means that they don’t believe you, or are very surprised. It’s a shortened form of get out of here! or even get out of town!

• You really believe that conspiracy theory garbage? Get out of here!
• You were laid off? Get out! I can’t believe that.
• Oh, get out. That’s so obviously a lie.

Get on the train.

You saw that get in is used with cars and other vehicles that you sit in. In the case of transportation that you can stand in, for instance planes, trains, boats, or busses, use get on. (Ironically, you also get on a bike or a horse, even though you don’t normally stand on them! But you are literally sitting on them when you ride, so it’s not so illogical.)

• As soon as I got on the plane I fell asleep.
• Sarah is just getting on the train now, so she’ll be here in about an hour.
• The kids all got on their bikes and rode away.

Where do I get off the bus?

Get out is the opposite of get in, so it’s not surprising that get off is the opposite of get on. It means leave a train, bus, plane, boat, bike, or horse. To get off (work) means to leave work, to reach the end of your shift.

• Is this 96^th street? I get off at the next stop.
• It was raining when we got off the plane, but it’s sunny now.
• I’m afraid to get off the horse! What if it starts to run?
• What time do you get off tonight?
• I only have a half day tomorrow, so I get off around 1pm.

There’s a really common expression of anger that uses get off (doing something). It’s almost always a question. If you’re angry and want to express that someone has no right to do something, you could ask where do (you think) you get off doing that?

• Where do you get off speaking to me like that? I’ve done nothing wrong!
• How rude! Where do you think you get off acting like that?
• She did what?!? I don’t know where she thinks she gets off behaving the way she does.

How do you get around without a car?

Get around (a town or city, usually) means to move from one place to another, especially for everyday purposes.

• Without a car, it’s really hard to get around in a small town.
• Most New Yorkers get around by bus or subway.
• My grandfather is old, but he still gets around pretty easily.

They got away!

To get away (from) means to escape, or to avoid being caught. It also has the meaning of being able to leave a difficult or boring routine.

• The bird got away from the cat.
• The police found the criminal, but he eventually got away by jumping on a train.
• We’ve been working really hard. Let’s get away this weekend and relax.

Let’s get together this weekend!

If you get together with family or friends, you meet with them socially.

• We got together with some friends last night.
• How often do you get together with your sisters?
• We met online and decided to get together in person soon.

If you get (things/people) together, that means that you gather or organize them.

• I need to get my receipts together because it’s time to do my taxes.
• Your bedroom is a mess! Get all of your dirty clothes together and do some laundry!
• Our boss got all of us together in the conference room to announce her retirement.

Finally, if you get yourself together, that means that you get yourself ready and organized, or that you compose yourself after some strong emotion.

• It’s almost 9am! I need to get myself together and get to work!
• Your life is a mess! Get yourself together, because nothing will change unless you want it to.
• I was crying when the doorbell rang, so I got myself together before I opened the door.

We don’t really get along.

Get along (with) means to be friendly or on good terms with someone.

• Our kids have known one another for years and get along really well.
• My neighbor and I don’t get along. It’s difficult because we see each other all the time.
• Do you get along with your mother-in-law?

Let’s not get into that right now.

Get into (a topic of discussion) means to start to discuss.

• I won’t get into all of the personal details, but you should know that they’re getting a divorce.
•  We’re in a restaurant, in public! I don’t want to get into that here!
• I don’t think it’s appropriate to get into my personal life at dinner with people I hardly know.

If you get into a hobby or interest, that means that you begin to become interested in it.

• I’m really getting into this new band. Their music is great!
• Laura’s always learning some new language. Right now she’s getting into Finnish.
• Sam first got into meditation in college, and now he belongs to a Buddhist sangha and goes on retreat a few times a year.

I’ll get to that tomorrow.

If you get to a thing (a job, a project, a task, etc.), you begin to work on it.

• I’m really busy and haven’t gotten to my homework yet.
• We need to get to cleaning the garage. It’s really a mess.
• I’m just getting to the email from my boss now.

I’ve finally gotten over my cold.

To get over an illness means to recover from it. To get over a psychological or emotional difficulty means to move beyond it. There’s an idiomatic expression with get over that people use to show surprise. If you can’t get over X, it means that X was really surprising or shocking to you.

• I was sick for two weeks with the flu, but I’ve finally gotten over it.
• Sandy’s been in bed all day with a terrible headache that she can’t get over.
• The breakup was really difficult for Patrick. He still hasn’t gotten over it.
• I still can’t get over these Supreme Court decisions. They’re shocking.
• I can’t get over how big your kids are! They were babies the last time I saw them!

I just can’t get ahead!

To get ahead (on something) means to make progress, especially in advance.

• I have so much to do at work next week, I’m going to work on Saturday so I can get ahead.
• I have too many bills and I’m not making enough to pay them. I can’t get ahead.
• Bill really wanted to get ahead so he started writing his term paper at the beginning of the class.

I’m getting behind on my work.

To get behind is the opposite of get ahead. If you get behind (on work, a project, tasks, etc.) it means that you’re moving too slowly and not finishing on time.

• Bob was out sick for most of last week, so he really got behind on his work.
• We’ve gotten behind on our car payments. If we don’t do something, we’ll lose the car.
• I’m getting behind on this project. I really need to work faster.

If you get behind an idea or a proposal, that means that you agree with it and support it.

• That’s a great idea. I think it’s something the whole team will get behind.
• I’m sorry, I just don’t agree with this idea. I can’t get behind it.
• Thankfully, not everyone got behind Donald’s criminal scheme.

We can’t get by on one salary.

To get by means to perform at a minimum necessary level. It means to not fail, but just barely.

• John’s Japanese is not very good, but he can get by in most daily situations in Tokyo.
• Hannah has two jobs and can barely get by. She has no savings at all.
• How can you live in San Francisco and get by on such a low salary?

Can I get by, please?

To get by also means to pass or to move around an obstacle.

• Could you please move over a bit so I can get by?
• This jerk parked in the middle of the road. We can’t get by!
• A big tree fell on Grant Street, and no one can get by.

The raccoons have gotten at the garbage again!

To get at something means to reach it, especially if it’s in a place that’s difficult to reach. The expression what are you getting at? means what are you suggesting or implying?

• I can’t get at the keys. They fell behind the couch and I just can’t reach them!
• The dog is trying to get at the pizza. Put the box on top of the stove so he can’t reach it!
• How are you supposed to get at the oil filter in this car? I can’t even find it!
• Look, I don’t know what you’re getting at, so why don’t you just come out and say it.

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