verb

get

geht

verb

To come to have or receive something; to obtain.

"She got a new job at the hospital."

"Did you get my message yesterday?"

To become, or to cause someone or something to become, a certain way (often with an adjective).

"It's getting cold outside."

"He got angry when they cancelled the meeting."

To fetch or bring something.

"Can you get me a glass of water?"

To arrive at or reach a place or state.

"What time do we get to the airport?"

To understand something.

"Sorry, I don't get the joke."

To catch or contract an illness.

"He got the flu last week and had to stay home."

Used with a past participle to form a passive construction, emphasising an event happening (e.g. "get fired," "get married").

"She got promoted after only six months."

How to Use Get

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishOne of the most common and flexible English verbs — covering obtaining, becoming, arriving, understanding, and forming casual passives.

When to use it

"Get" is very common in speech and informal writing; formal writing often prefers more specific verbs like "obtain," "become," or "receive."

Common pairings

get a job get married get it get there get better

Word Forms

got past tense, gat past tense, gotten past tense, getten past tense, get plural, got plural, gets plural, gets plural, gets plural, gittim plural, gitten plural, Gets plural, gets singular, get singular, got singular, gat singular, gettest singular, gottest singular, gattest singular, getteth singular

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Fill the Gap

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Did you _____ my message yesterday?

Etymology

From Old Norse geta, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to seize" or "to hold" — one of the most flexible and frequently used verbs in English.

Rhymes for get

beget forget target nugget fidget budget gadget Bridget

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