ENGLISH
REFERENCE

belong to

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford

phr. v.. to be the property of someone or to be a member of a specific group.

phr. v.. to be owned by a person or entity; to be a member of a club, organization, or category.


SIMPLE

This blue umbrella belongs to me.

CONTEXTUAL

I have lived in this city for years, but I still don't feel like I belong to this community.

COMPLEX

The ancient artifacts discovered during the excavation belong to the national museum and cannot be sold to private collectors.

Particles
to
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
belong + to + object
Usage

always followed by the preposition 'to' and an object.

Teaching tip

remind students that 'belong' is a stative verb and is almost never used in the continuous (-ing) form.

Pitfall

The book belongs me.The book belongs to me.the verb 'belong' requires the preposition 'to' before the owner or group.

© 2026 English Reference