pick (something) up
2018.03.28
Meaning:
‘pick something up’ has many, many meanings. The basic meaning is ‘get something and lift it’. Other meanings include: ‘get sick’, ‘learn something without trying’ or ‘buy something cheaply’. These seem like different meanings, but they all mean ‘to get something easily’.
Example:
Example 1 (‘pick up’ = get sick)
A: Ugh, I have a cold. I think I picked it up at my son’s school.
Example 2 (‘pick up’ = learn without trying)
B: I’ve never taken Italian lessons. I just picked the language up when I lived in Rome.
Example 3 (pick up’ = buy something cheaply. It is safer not to use this in a question because it suggests cheapness)
A: Look at my new handbag! I picked it up for $5 at a street market!
Talking Point(s):
Where did you pick up your last cold?
Do you think you could pick English up if you lived in an English-speaking country for a year?
大人からの英会話getgo 西船橋・荻窪・津田沼・本八幡