# pick sb/sth up

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pick-sb-sth-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

To go somewhere to get a person or thing, or to lift something from a surface.

For teachers: A separable phrasal verb with two primary meanings: 1) to collect a person or thing from a location, and 2) to lift an object from a lower position.

## Examples

- Can you pick me up after work?
- She bent down to pick up the keys she had dropped on the floor.
- The satellite is scheduled to pick up faint signals from the distant galaxy as it passes through the designated orbital path.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I need to pick up them from school." but "I need to pick them up from school." — A pronoun object like 'them' must be placed between the verb 'pick' and the particle 'up'.

## Usage notes

- This phrasal verb is separable, so you can say 'pick the kids up' or 'pick up the kids'.
- Teaching tip: Emphasize that when the object is a pronoun (it, them, me), it must go between 'pick' and 'up', as in 'pick it up'.

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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.