# pick up

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pick-up
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to collect someone or something from a place, usually in a car.

For teachers: to collect a person or object from a specific location, often by vehicle. The verb is transitive and optionally separable.

## Examples

- I will pick you up at the station at six.
- Can you pick up some milk on your way home from work today?
- The courier is scheduled to pick up the confidential documents before the office closes for the weekend.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I will pick up him at five." but "I will pick him up at five." — when the object is a pronoun, it must be placed between the verb and the particle.

## Usage notes

- when the object is a pronoun like 'me' or 'it', it must go between 'pick' and 'up'.
- Teaching tip: this is a separable phrasal verb; use it to practice pronoun placement (pick it up vs. pick up it).

---

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.