Phrasal verb
Phrasal verbs with get
By EasySay. Published . Updated .
Get is a verb that changes its meaning with the small word after it.
Get over means to recover, get on means to climb onto a bus, and get off means to leave it. This page explains eight meanings of get, with a pattern and an example for each, and a five-question check.
Written for EasySay, in our own words.
In short
- Patternget over sth
- Patternget on sth
get: what it is, and what it is not
- IS
- get over sth: recover from an illness, a shock or a sad event.
- IS
- get on sth: climb onto a bus, tram, train or plane.
- IS
- get off sth: leave a bus, tram, train or plane.
- IS
- get sth across: the object can go between get and across.
- IS NOT
- get over sth: the object cannot go in the middle; it stays after the small words.
- IS NOT
- The plain verb: get with a small word takes a new meaning, such as recover from an illness, a shock or a sad event.
Meaning: Get is a short English verb with many meanings. With small words it can mean to recover, to board or leave a bus, to escape blame, to leave your bed and more.
How do people say it?
- Recover from an illness, a shock or a sad event:
It took Mina nearly two weeks to get over the flu.
- Climb onto a bus, tram, train or plane:
We got on the 86 tram at Bourke Street.
Check yourself
What should I know?
What does it mean, and how is it used?
| Meaning | Object in the middle? | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recover from an illness, a shock or a sad event | No | get over sth |
|
| Climb onto a bus, tram, train or plane | No | get on sth |
|
| Leave a bus, tram, train or plane | No | get off sth |
|
| Have a friendly relationship with someone | No | get on with sb |
|
| Escape punishment or blame | No | get away with sth |
|
| Leave your bed in the morning | No | get up |
|
| Make an idea clear to other people | Yes | get sth across |
|
| Return to a place | No | get back |
|
Map of the small words
- getover
- Recover from an illness, a shock or a sad eventget over sthObject goes after
- geton
- Climb onto a bus, tram, train or planeget on sthObject goes after
- getoff
- Leave a bus, tram, train or planeget off sthObject goes after
- geton with
- Have a friendly relationship with someoneget on with sbObject goes after
- getaway with
- Escape punishment or blameget away with sthObject goes after
- getup
- Leave your bed in the morningget upObject goes after
- getacross
- Make an idea clear to other peopleget sth acrossObject can go in the middle
- getback
- Return to a placeget backObject goes after
Small words used with it
- over
- on
- off
- away
- up
- across
- back
What should I not mix it up with?
- take Take is a very common verb. With small words it can mean to look like a relative, to remove clothes, to start a hobby, to employ someone and more.
Get is one of the busiest verbs in English, and it changes meaning more than most. On its own it can mean receive, become or arrive.
Add a small word and the meaning changes again: get on is to climb onto a bus, and get off is to leave it. When you meet a new phrase with get, look at the small word first, then at what follows it.
Only one of the eight meanings in the table lets you put the object in the middle: get sth across. You can say get the idea across or get it across.
When the object is a pronoun such as it, him or them, it must go in the middle. Say get it across and not get across it. The other seven keep the small word next to the verb, so you say get over the flu, and you say get over it.
The past form of get is got. Cambridge marks gotten as US, as in She has gotten over it.
In Australia and the United Kingdom, people say She has got over it. You can use the form you hear around you.
Two meanings need extra care. Get on and get off look like opposites, and for transport they are, but you put on a coat rather than getting on it.
Get away with has two small words, and it takes an object, such as lying or being late. Write your own sentence for each row of the table and say it aloud, then try the check below.
Other base verbs
Questions people ask
What does get over mean?
Get over means to recover from an illness, a shock or a sad event. You can get over the flu or get over bad news. The object comes after over, and with a pronoun you say get over it.
Is it got or gotten?
In Australia and the United Kingdom, people say got: She has got over it. Cambridge marks gotten as US. Both are understood, and you can follow the people around you.
Is get on with the same as get along with?
Both mean to have a friendly relationship with someone. This page uses get on with. Get along with is also common and means the same thing.
Which meaning of get lets the object go in the middle?
On this page, only get across. You can say get the idea across or get it across. With a pronoun the object must go in the middle.
Sources and dates
- EasySay's own writing for the phrasal verbs, EasySay. Licence: original writing for EasySay. Checked .
Cite this page
EasySay. "Phrasal verbs with get". https://easysay.org/phrasal-verbs/get. Last updated 23 October 2026.
https://easysay.org/phrasal-verbs/get