1.
to lift something from the floor
“Pick up your toys, please.”
“She picked up the pen.”
Synonyms: to lift, to grab
Phrasal verb
What does pick up mean?
Meaning: to lift something up; to collect someone
B1
This page for:
Quick answer
Pick up = to lift something up (from the floor). It can also mean to collect someone (often by car) or to answer the phone. I'll pick you up at 7 = I'll come and get you at 7. It is a separable phrasal verb: pick it up.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to collect someone, often by car
“I'll pick you up at 7 p.m.”
“Can you pick up the kids from school?”
Synonyms: to collect, to fetch
3.
to answer the phone
common“Pick up the phone, it's ringing!”
“She didn't pick up.”
Synonyms: to answer
4.
to learn something without real lessons
figurative“I picked up Spanish in Mexico.”
Synonyms: to learn, to acquire
Word order
Separable
The object can go between the verb and the particle. With a pronoun (it, them), it always goes between.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- pick up
- Past Simple:
- picked up
- Past participle:
- picked up
- -ing form:
- picking up
Common mistakes to avoid
With a pronoun: between pick and up
Pick you up ✓ / Pick up you ❌. The same goes for pick it up and pick them up. With a noun, both orders work.
Pick up or collect?
They mean almost the same when you go and get someone or something. Pick up is more common when people speak. Collect is more formal and British. I'll pick up the parcel = I'll collect the parcel.
Pick up the phone or answer it?
On the phone, pick up is informal and describes the action of taking the phone to answer. Answer is the general verb. She didn't pick up = she didn't answer the phone. Don't say She didn't answer up ❌.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: pick up
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Pick up: 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 “pick up” on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersPick up: a ready-to-use lesson sequence
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English contestPick up: often tested in the English contest
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Frequently asked questions
What does pick up mean?+
Pick up has many meanings: to lift something from the floor, to collect someone, to answer the phone, or to learn something without lessons. Pick up the kids = go and get the children. Pick up the phone = answer it.
Is pick up separable?+
Yes. With a noun, both orders work: pick up the keys / pick the keys up. With a pronoun, the pronoun goes in the middle: pick them up ✓ (never pick up them).
What is the difference between pick up and collect?+
Both can mean to go and get someone or something. Pick up is more common when people speak, in British and American English. Collect is more formal and mostly British. Pick up your parcel = collect your parcel.
What does “pick up a language” mean?+
It means to learn a language in a natural way, without real lessons, just by hearing and using it. I picked up Spanish in Mexico = I learnt Spanish by living there. This meaning is informal.
What is a pickup truck?+
A pickup truck (also written pick-up truck) is a small truck with an open back for carrying things. The noun always means the vehicle here. Its meaning no longer comes from the phrasal verb.
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/pick-up
© 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.