# be up

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/be-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to be awake and out of bed; also means that a period of time has finished.

For teachers: to be awake and in a standing or active state after sleep; alternatively, to have reached the end of a specific time limit.

## Examples

- I have been up since six this morning.
- The teacher told the students that their time was up and they had to stop writing.
- Despite the late hour, several lights were still on in the house, suggesting that the family was still up.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I am up from 7:00." but "I have been up since 7:00." — use 'since' to show the starting point of being awake, and use the present perfect for a state continuing until now.

## Usage notes

- often used with 'since' for time or as a standalone predicate for expired time.
- Teaching tip: this phrasal verb is intransitive and functions as a state; distinguish between the 'awake' sense and the 'expired time' sense which is common in testing environments.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.