1 A2 neutral
To board or mount a vehicle, animal, or surface.
"Hurry up — we need to get on the train before the doors close."
inseparable
get on
A2 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To board a vehicle, have a good relationship with someone, or make progress with an activity.
In plain English
To climb onto a bus or train, to be friends with someone, or to do well at something.
What does "get on" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 idiomatic neutral
To have a friendly or harmonious relationship with someone.
"I really get on with my new colleagues — the atmosphere in the office is great."
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
To make progress or manage in a situation.
"'How are you getting on with your thesis?' 'Slowly, but I'm making progress.'"
inseparable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
To be getting old (used with 'in years' or alone).
"He's getting on a bit — he'll be seventy next birthday."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move onto a surface or object — transparent in the vehicle sense, idiomatic in the relationship/progress senses.
Actually means
To climb onto a bus or train, to be friends with someone, or to do well at something.
Usage tip
One of the most common and versatile phrasal verbs in English. The 'relationship' sense is predominantly British and Irish; American speakers more often say 'get along'. The vehicle sense is standard worldwide. 'How are you getting on?' is a common British English inquiry.
Words that pair with "get on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
well bus train plane horse bike each other fine
How to conjugate "get on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
get on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gets on
he/she/it
Past simple
got on
yesterday
Past participle
got/gotten on
have + pp
-ing form
getting on
continuous
Hear "get on" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "get on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "get on"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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