1 A2 neutral
To go and live in a different city, country, or location.
"They decided to move to the countryside after years of city life."
“
We moved to America when I was two.
— Barack Obama, 'Dreams from My Father', 1995
inseparable
move to
A2 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To go to live or work in a different place, or to cause someone to feel deep emotion.
In plain English
To go and start living in a new place, or to make someone feel something strongly.
What does "move to" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To cause someone to feel strong emotion, often sadness, sympathy, or admiration.
"The documentary moved many viewers to tears."
“
I was moved to tears by the performance.
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic formal
To prompt or motivate someone to take a particular action.
"The crisis moved the government to act immediately."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To go in the direction of a place — largely transparent.
Actually means
To go and start living in a new place, or to make someone feel something strongly.
Usage tip
The emotional sense ('moved to tears') is commonly used in formal writing. The relocation sense is universal and very frequent in everyday speech.
Words that pair with "move to"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
city country tears laughter action suburb
How to conjugate "move to"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
move to
I/you/we/they
3rd person
moves to
he/she/it
Past simple
moved to
yesterday
Past participle
moved to
have + pp
-ing form
moving to
continuous
Hear "move to" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "move to" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "move to"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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