Let’s learn how to understand the verb “get.” This is one of the most common English verbs. As a stand-alone verb, “get” has a lot of different meanings. In adddition, many common expressions and idioms also use the verb “get.” And let’s not forget about all the phrasal verbs that begin with the verb “get!”
But don’t be confused! In this post, we’re going to look more closely at the most common meanings of the verb “get.”
How To Conjugate "Get"
“Get” follows the normal rules for the present tense:
I get
You get
He/She/It gets (with an “s”)
We get
They get
However, it has an irregular past simple form that is used with all subjects:
I got
You got
He/She/It got
We got
They got
The present participle (the -ing form) is regular – “getting.” But the past participle (the -ed form for regular verbs) is irregular: got or gotten. If you speak British English, you would normally use “got” as the past participle. In American English, the past participle is commonly “gotten.”
The Meanings of "Get"
“Get” is a little word that is easy to pronounce, even though the pronunciation is irregular. Say a hard “g,” as in “gorilla.” Next, the “e” has a short sound, as in “elephant.” The “t” on the end many times behaves as a stop consonant (see this post for more information about stop consonants).
“Get” is used in mostly in informal speech. If you examine a sentence with “get,” you can see that the word “get” could usually be replaced with a more formal verb that will help you understand the meaning.
A good online dictionary for English learners is Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. Let’s look at 5 very common meanings of “get” with examples from the Bible.
1. “to receive or obtain something”
- Get (obtain) some good lumber and build a boat… (Genesis 6:14)
- Peter replied, “Remember, we have left everything to be your followers! What will we get (receive)? (Matthew 19:27)
2. “to become.”
- …They are fooled by the desire to get (become) rich and to have all kinds of other things… (Mark 4:19)
- …Then lame people will be healed, instead of getting (becoming) worse. (Hebrews 12:13)
3. It can be used as a linking verb, to attach an adjective or an adverb to the subject. This is very similar to the meaning of “to become,” but it describes the subject instead of showing a change from one thing to another.
- Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will get (will be) thirsty again. (John 4:13)
- …When others are tricked into sin, I get (am) angry. (2 Corinthians 11:29)
4. “to convince”
- Since we could not get (convince) Paul to change his mind, we gave up… (Acts 21:14)
- I have tried very hard to get (convince) our friend Apollos to visit you… (1 Corinthians 16:12)
5. “to arrive”
- My dear friends, you should wait until everyone gets (arrives) there before you start eating. (1 Corinthians 11:33)
- If there is something they want to know, they can ask their husbands when they get (arrive) home… (1 Corinthians 14:35)
Phrasal Verbs with "Get"
“Get” can be made into many phrasal verbs, which is why it can be so confusing for English learners. Remember, a phrasal verb is a compound verb (two or three words). A base verb is combined with another word, usually a preposition, that changes the meaning of the base verb. Let’s look at six of the most common phrasal verbs with “get.”
Don’t forget that the best way to learn phrasal verbs is to concentrate on one at a time. Learn the definition, find examples, and practice by creating sentences of your own. It’s very difficult to learn phrasal verbs by just trying to memorize a list.
1. get up – to rise from a sitting or lying position
You probably know this one. You’ll probably use it most often in the morning, when you talk about “getting out of bed.”
- In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. (2 Corinthians 4:9)
2. get out – to leave quickly
- …”Get those doves out of here!”… (John 2:16)
3. get back – to return to a place, or to return a thing to its original owner
- …You will never get them back. (Revelation 18:14)
4. get along (with) – to have a good relationship
- I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along. (Colossians 4:8)
- …Be faithful, loving, and easy to get along with… (2 Timothy 2:22)
5. get by – to survive financially, or to overcome an obstacle
- Mario’s mother gets by on very little.
- I’m not a great student, but I’ll get by.
6. get to – to be able to
- We have to get to the airport by 9:00.
(this would most likely be pronounced, “We gotta get to the airport.”) - I’d like to get to know her better.
Expressions with "Get"
Expressions with “get” may be even more common than phrasal verbs with “get.” Here are more ways to understand the verb “get” in very common idioms and expressions.
1. get ready – to prepare, either yourself or something else
- When Zenas the lawyer and Apollos get ready to leave, help them as much as you can… (Titus 3:13)
- Please get a room ready for me… (Philemon 1:22)
2. get well – to become healthy again after being sick
- …Just say the word, and my servant will get well. (Luke 7:7)
3. get married – to make a lifetime bond with a mate
- As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother to get married…” (Ephesians 5:31)
4. get dressed – to put clothes on
- …and the angel said, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.”… (Acts 12:8)
5. get rid of – to dispose of something
- Get rid of the old yeast!… (1 Corinthians 5:7)
6. get even – to take revenge
- Although he was abused, he never tried to get even… (1 Peter 2:23)
7. Have got to (used in the past tense) – have to
- I‘ve got to go to work today. (“I gotta go to work today”)
8. Get to (used in the present tense) – something you look forward to enthusiastically
- I get to ride horses at the farm this weekend.
9. Get (it) – to understand
- Do you get how to use this word?
- Yes, now I get it!
Let's Review
That was a lot of information about a very small word! I hope you understand the verb “get” a little better now.
There are more ways to use “get,” but I hope this list of the most common uses will help you understand more of what you hear and read. If you have any questions, or if there is another expression with “get” that confuses you, leave a comment below!
Write some sentences, and practice with these phrases one at a time until you feel comfortable using them. Then try using some of these phrases yourself.
Thanks for reading, see you next time!
