Phrasal verb
belong to sb
Definition
phrasal verb. To be owned by a person or a group. You use this to say who is the owner of something.
phrasal verb. To be the property or possession of a person or entity. This is a stative verb indicating ownership and is always followed by an object.
Examples
“This pen belongs to Sarah.”
“Excuse me, does this scarf belong to you? I found it on the floor.”
“The disputed territories, which have historically belonged to the smaller nation, became the focus of intense international diplomacy.”
Examples
simple
“This pen belongs to Sarah.”
contextual
“Excuse me, does this scarf belong to you? I found it on the floor.”
complex
“The disputed territories, which have historically belonged to the smaller nation, became the focus of intense international diplomacy.”
Usage
As a stative verb, it is not used in continuous tenses (e.g., 'is belonging').
Teaching tip
Contrast the structure with 'own': the subject of 'belong to' is the item owned, while the subject of 'own' is the owner.
Pitfall
This car is belonging to my father.
This car belongs to my father.
'Belong' is a stative verb, so it is not used in continuous tenses like the present continuous.
Phrasal verb
Particles
to
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
belong + to + object