Meaning
- To lift or raise something up.
- To acquire or learn something like a new concept or language.
- To collect someone or something physically such as by car.
- To improve or increase speed, performance, or situation.
- To get or answer the phone.
- To meet or start a relationship with someone.
- To notice or detect something like noise or sound.
Today’s Sentences
01
Is that a pick up line?
Situation
Hey, you’ve been running around in my mind all day.
Is that a pick up line?
Is it working?
Not one bit.
02
How did you pick up the language?
Situation
Wow, your Spanish is spot on.
Really?
Thank you.
How did you pick up the language.
I lived in South America for 8 years.
Writer’s Note
‘Pick up‘ is both transitive and intransitive and a separable phrasal verb.
- Transitive: When pick up takes a direct object (something that is picked up), it is transitive.
Example: She picked up the book. (The object is the book.) - Intransitive: When pick up does not take a direct object, it is intransitive.
Example: Sales are picking up. (No object is directly receiving the action.) - Separable: In some cases, the verb pick and the particle up can be separated by the object.
Example 1: I’ll pick the book up. (separable, object the book is placed between pick and up)
Example 2: I’ll pick up the book. (separable, object the book comes after the phrasal verb)
Related words: Acquire, collect, continue, gain, gather, get, grasp, gather, go for, have, increase, learn, offer, purchase, score, take, take up, uphold, uplift.
