1.
to start a hobby, a sport or an instrument
“I took up tennis last year.”
“She's taking up painting.”
Synonyms: to start, to begin
Phrasal verb
What does take up mean?
Meaning: to start a hobby; to use space or time
B1
This page for:
Quick answer
Take up = to start a new hobby (a sport, an instrument). It can also mean to use space or time. I took up tennis = I started playing tennis regularly. This takes up too much space = this uses too much space.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to use space or time
“This bed takes up too much space.”
“Studying takes up most of my time.”
Synonyms: to occupy
3.
to accept an offer or a challenge
common“I'll take you up on your offer.”
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:
- take up
- Past Simple:
- took up
- Past participle:
- taken up
- -ing form:
- taking up
Common mistakes to avoid
Take up + activity = to start doing it
Take up + a sport or hobby = to start it. To take up yoga = to start doing yoga. The idea is that you start a regular activity, not just try it once. After take up, use a noun or an -ing form: I took up swimming ✓ / I took up to swim ❌.
With a pronoun: always in the middle
Take it up ✓ / Take up it ❌. A pronoun (it, them) always goes between take and up.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: take up
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Take 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 “take up” on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersTake up: a ready-to-use lesson sequence
The Academy gives you step-by-step exercises, answer keys and a tracking dashboard: you keep the teaching, and the tool takes care of the practice and the marking.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
English contestTake up: often tested in the English contest
Instead of another class test, your students answer questions based on the CEFR levels, in a contest that brings the whole school together.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Frequently asked questions
What does take up mean?+
Take up has three meanings: (1) to start a new activity or hobby; (2) to use space or time; (3) to accept an offer. Meanings 1 and 2 are the most common.
Is take up separable?+
Yes. Take up tennis / take tennis up (the second order is rare with sports; take up + noun is more common). With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: take it up.
What is the difference between take up and start?+
Start is general: to begin something, once or for a long time. Take up = to start a regular activity (a hobby, a sport). I took up tennis = I started playing tennis regularly. I started tennis at 10 a.m. = my tennis began at 10 that day.
How do you use take up to accept an offer?+
Use take someone up on + an offer. I'll take you up on your offer = I accept your offer. This is meaning 3, an idiom (a fixed phrase).
What is the past simple of take up?+
Took up. Take is irregular: take → took → taken. I took up swimming when I was 5.
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/take-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.