1 A2 neutral
To register upon arrival at a hotel, airport, hospital, or event.
"We need to check in at least two hours before the flight departs."
inseparable
check in
A2 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To register your arrival at a hotel, airport, or event, or to make brief contact with someone to report your status.
In plain English
To go to the desk at a hotel or airport and tell them you have arrived, or to quickly talk to someone to say you are okay.
What does "check in" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To make brief contact with someone to report your status or see how they are doing.
"My manager asked me to check in every Friday afternoon with a progress update."
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic informal
To tag or share your location on a social media platform.
"She checked in at the new restaurant and immediately got comments from her friends."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To mark oneself as 'in' — physically arrived and recorded.
Actually means
To go to the desk at a hotel or airport and tell them you have arrived, or to quickly talk to someone to say you are okay.
Usage tip
In the hospitality/travel sense, used at hotels, airports, hospitals, and events. In the social sense ('check in with someone'), it means a brief, casual contact. Very common in American English. Social media platforms have popularised the 'location check-in' noun form.
Words that pair with "check in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
hotel flight airport boss luggage deadline
How to conjugate "check in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
check in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
checks in
he/she/it
Past simple
checked in
yesterday
Past participle
checked in
have + pp
-ing form
checking in
continuous
Hear "check in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "check in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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