Give a hug means to hug someone, to put your arms around them. The person usually goes in the middle: give me a hug, gave her a big hug. It means the same as the verb hug, but with give it's easy to say what kind of hug it was: a big hug, a quick hug, a warm hug.
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give + person + a hug; give a (big/quick) hug to + person; hug + person; big hugs (in messages)
- When I came home after a year abroad, Dad gave me a huge hug at the door.
- She looked really worried, so I gave her a quick hug before the exam.
- The kids gave their teacher a big hug on the last day of school.
What changed
First versionAt the airport I hugged with my sister for a long time.
RevisionAt the airport I hugged my sister for a long time.
Hugging is something two people do together, so with can seem natural. But hug takes the person directly, with no preposition: hugged my sister. If two people hug each other, say we hugged or we hugged each other. The correction removes with.
To end a letter or message with a hug, people write Hugs!, Big hugs or Sending you a big hug, not I hug you. I hug you sounds awkward: it reports an action instead of being a warm goodbye.
Your turn
Kate ended her text to a friend with 'Good luck tomorrow! ___!'
Show the answer
Big hugs — At the end of a message to a friend, people use the short sign-off Big hugs. I hug you is a word-for-word version that sounds awkward, and English speakers don't sign off that way.
Describe meeting someone close to you after time apart. Say who you met and how long you hadn't seen each other.
When I met my cousin at the station after three years apart, she gave me a big hug.
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