1.
to feel happy about something that will happen
“I'm looking forward to the weekend.”
“She's looking forward to seeing her friends.”
“We look forward to your visit.”
Synonyms: to anticipate, to be excited about
Phrasal verb
What does look forward to mean?
Meaning: to feel happy about something in the future
B1
This page for:
Quick answer
Look forward to = to feel happy about something that will happen. I'm looking forward to the weekend. BE CAREFUL: to is followed by a noun OR a verb with -ing, never by the base form. I look forward to seeing you, not to see you.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
Word order
Inseparable
The object goes after the particle, never between the verb and the particle.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- look forward to
- Past Simple:
- looked forward to
- Past participle:
- looked forward to
- -ing form:
- looking forward to
Common mistakes to avoid
Big trap: to + -ing, not to + base form
The to in look forward to is a preposition, not the to of an infinitive (to see, to go). So you put a noun or a verb with -ing after it. I look forward to seeing you ✓ / I look forward to see you ❌. This mistake is very common!
The -ing form is very common (be looking forward to)
People often use it in the Present Continuous: I'm looking forward to + noun or -ing. It sounds warmer and more natural. I'm looking forward to your party = I'm happy that I will go to your party.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: look forward to
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Look forward to: you understand the rule. Now practise it.
Understanding a rule is only the first step. On PLAY, you use it in real situations, at your own pace, until it becomes automatic.
Practise “look forward to” on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersLook forward to: a ready-to-use lesson sequence
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English contestLook forward to: often tested in the English contest
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Frequently asked questions
What does look forward to mean?+
Look forward to = to wait for something good and feel happy about it. I'm looking forward to your visit = I am happy that you will visit me soon. It is very common in speech and in writing.
Is it look forward to seeing or to see?+
Say look forward to seeing. The to in look forward to is a PREPOSITION (like in or at), not the to of to see. After a preposition, you use a noun or a verb with -ing. This is one of the most common mistakes in English!
Is look forward to separable?+
No, it is not separable. The order never changes: look + forward + to + the thing. Look forward to it ✓ / Look it forward to ❌.
What is the difference between look forward to and can't wait?+
They mean almost the same. Look forward to is more neutral or formal (letters, emails). Can't wait is more spoken and more excited. I can't wait to see you (+ base form) / I'm looking forward to seeing you (+ -ing).
How do you use look forward to at the end of an email?+
A very common ending is I look forward to hearing from you = please write back to me. Or, less formal: Looking forward to seeing you soon. It is polite and friendly.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/look-forward-to
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.