# hang on

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hang-on
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to wait for a short time. You use this when you want someone to stop what they are doing for a moment.

For teachers: to wait for a brief period. Often functions as an imperative or a request for a pause in a task or conversation; typically intransitive.

## Examples

- Hang on, I forgot my wallet.
- If you can hang on for just a moment, I will see if the doctor is free to talk.
- The operator requested that the customer hang on while the technical specifications were retrieved from the database.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Can you hang on me for a second?" but "Can you hang on for a second?" — the verb is intransitive in this sense and does not take a person as a direct object.

## Usage notes

- usually used in spoken English rather than formal writing.
- Teaching tip: use role-play phone calls to practice this phrase alongside 'hold on' and 'put someone through'.

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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.