Phrasal verb
go up to
Definition
phrasal verb. to walk toward someone or something until you are very close to them.
phrasal verb. to approach a person or object directly, often with the intention of initiating an interaction or inspection.
Examples
“I go up to the desk and ask for help.”
“If you see your teacher at the supermarket, will you go up to her and say hello?”
“The witness watched the suspect go up to the parked vehicle and peer through the driver-side window before walking away.”
Examples
simple
“I go up to the desk and ask for help.”
contextual
“If you see your teacher at the supermarket, will you go up to her and say hello?”
complex
“The witness watched the suspect go up to the parked vehicle and peer through the driver-side window before walking away.”
Usage
usually implies a physical movement across a short distance toward a specific target.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'approach' to show that 'go up to' is the more common, informal choice for social interactions like starting a conversation.
Pitfall
I went up him.
I went up to him.
the preposition 'to' is essential to indicate the direction of the movement toward the person.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up to
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
go + up + to + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/go-up-to