The verb “to get” is one of the most common in English… and also one of the most confusing!
On its own, it can have many different meanings. Add a small word after it, and the meaning can change completely.
That’s what makes phrasal verbs with get so interesting, and perfect for a fun matching challenge.
In this puzzle, you’ll match each get expression to its correct Italian meaning.
You’ll see two lists: English expressions on the left and Italian meanings on the right. Tap an English expression, then tap the matching Italian meaning. Correct pairs will turn green and stay in place.
Once you’ve matched them all, scroll down to check the translations and explore the Parole in contesto to reinforce what you’ve learned.
Here you’ll find all the words used in real Italian sentences, a great way to see them in action!
Get up — Alzarsi
Ogni mattina mi alzo alle sette.
Every morning I get up at seven.
Get out — Uscire
Esci subito da quella stanza!
Get out of that room right now!
Get back — Tornare
A che ora torni a casa stasera?
What time are you getting back home tonight?
Get together — Riunirsi / Ritrovarsi
Ci ritroviamo tutti da Maria sabato mattina.
We're all getting together at Maria's on Saturday morning.
Get going — Mettersi in moto / Muoversi
Dai, muoviamoci, il treno sta per partire!
Come on, let's get going, the train is about to leave!
Get ahead — Andare avanti / Farsi strada
Per andare avanti nella vita, devi lavorare sodo.
To get ahead in life, you have to work hard.
Get away — Scappare / Andar via
La vita in città è troppo stressante, ho bisogno di andar via per un po'.
City life is too stressful, I need to get away for a while.
Get along — Andare d'accordo
È impossibile andare d'accordo con mia suocera, mi rimprovera sempre per qualcosa.
It's impossible to get along with my mother-in-law, she always tells me off for something.
Get behind — Rimanere indietro
Ho perso due settimane di corso e ora sono indietro con tutto il programma.
I missed two weeks of the course and now I've got behind with everything.
Get in — Entrare
Non riuscivo a entrare perché avevo dimenticato le chiavi.
I couldn't get in because I had forgotten my keys.
One of the trickiest things about phrasal verbs is that the same verb can mean completely different things depending on context. And get is one of the best examples!
Get off can mean scendere (get off the bus), but also cavarsela in the sense of escaping consequences (he got off with just a fine, se l'è cavata con una multa). Same phrasal verb, very different situations!
Get by and get off actually share the same Italian translation, cavarsela. But with a subtle difference: get by is cavarsela nel senso di arrangiarsi, managing day to day with what you have. Get off is cavarsela nel senso di farla franca, getting away with something you perhaps shouldn’t have.
Get through can mean farcela (we got through a difficult year), but also attraversare (getting through a crowd), or even consumare (he got through three pints in one sitting!).
Get down can mean abbattersi/deprimersi (this weather gets me down), scendere (get down from there!), or, my favourite, scatenarsi in pista (on the dancefloor)!
Get round can mean convincere qualcuno (she always gets round her dad), aggirare un problema (finding a way around an obstacle), or trovare il tempo per fare qualcosa (I never got round to calling her).
Get around is similar to get round but more commonly used for spostarsi (getting around a city) or aggirare (getting around a rule).
One little verb. So many lives!