Get up means to get out of bed in the morning, or more generally to rise to your feet. Most often it refers to starting the day: What time do you get up? You can also use it for leaving a table or chair: She got up from the table and opened the window.
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get up (at + time); get up early/late; get + person + up; get up from + chair/table
- I have to get up at five tomorrow because my flight leaves at eight.
- My teenage son never gets up before noon at weekends.
- When the manager walked in, everyone got up from their desks to greet her.
What changed
First versionOn weekdays I stand up at seven and leave the house at eight.
RevisionOn weekdays I get up at seven and leave the house at eight.
“Stand up” may seem to fit, but it simply means to rise to your feet. Getting out of bed and starting your day is “get up” in English.
“Get up to” means something different: to be busy doing something, or to be up to something. In informal British English, people often ask about the weekend this way: What did you get up to at the weekend? About children, the phrase usually hints at mischief: What are the kids getting up to?
Your turn
My alarm rings at 6:30, but I read the news in bed and only ___ at seven.
Show the answer
get up — The person is reading the news in bed, so they woke up at 6:30. At seven they get out of bed, so “get up” is right. “Wake up” does not fit: by then they have been awake for a while.
Compare the time you get up on weekdays and at weekends. Give both times and explain why they are different.
I get up at 6:30 on weekdays, but on Saturdays I get up at nine because I don't have to take my son to school.
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