To acknowledge and give credit to someone for something impressive they have done.
To say that someone did a really good job and deserves praise for it.
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
To acknowledge someone's skill, achievement, or cleverness, even if reluctantly.
"You have to hand it to her — she finished the marathon despite injuring her ankle."
"You've got to hand it to the British — they do ceremony like no one else."
— The New York Times, coverage of royal events (general attribution)
Almost always used in the fixed expression 'you have to hand it to [someone]' or 'I'll hand it to [someone]'. The 'it' does not refer to a real object — it is part of the idiom. Common in both British and American English.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "hand it to" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.