What Does โBring sb upโ Mean?
โBring sb upโ means to raise a child or teach someone how to behave and live. It can also mean to mention a topic in conversation.
Introduction
The phrase โbring sb upโ is a common phrasal verb in English. Its most frequent meaning relates to raising a child, guiding them as they grow. When someone says they โbrought upโ a child, they mean they took care of them and taught them important life skills. Besides this, โbring sb upโ can also mean to introduce a subject during a discussion. Understanding the bring sb up meaning helps learners use it naturally in different contexts, whether talking about family or conversations. This phrase is useful in both formal and informal English, making it essential for everyday communication.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: bring somebody up
- Type: transitive
- Level: B1
- Short meaning: To raise a child or mention a topic
Structure (Grammar Rules)
โBring sb upโ is a separable phrasal verb when it means to raise a child. You can say:
- bring someone up
- bring up someone
When it means to mention a topic, it is usually inseparable:
- bring up a topic (not *bring a topic up)
How to Use โBring sb upโ?
Use โbring sb upโ when talking about raising children or educating someone in life skills. For example, โShe was brought up by her grandparents.โ
Use it to say you introduced a subject in a conversation: โHe brought up the idea during the meeting.โ
Remember the difference in separability depending on the meaning.
Examples
- My parents brought me up to be honest and kind.
- She brought up an interesting point about climate change.
- They brought up their children in a small town.
- Donโt bring up politics at the dinner table.
- He was brought up in a loving family.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: She brought up the child very well. (Better: She brought the child up very well.)
- Incorrect: I will bring a topic up later. (Better: I will bring up the topic later.)
- Incorrect: He brought up his son in New York. (Correct, but โbrought his son upโ is more natural.)
Differences / Synonyms
โBring sb upโ (to raise a child) is similar to โraiseโ or โrear.โ However, โraiseโ is more formal and broader, while โbring upโ focuses on upbringing.
When meaning to mention a topic, โbring upโ is similar to โmentionโ or โintroduce.โ โBring upโ often implies starting a discussion, while โmentionโ is more casual.
Common Collocations
- bring children up
- bring kids up
- bring a topic up
- bring up an issue
- bring up a question
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of bring sb up:
Real-life Dialogue
Anna: How was your childhood?
Tom: I was brought up in a small village by my grandparents.
Anna: That sounds lovely. By the way, can I bring up something about our project?
Tom: Sure, go ahead!
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of โbring upโ:
- They ________ their children to be respectful.
- She didnโt want to ________ the topic during the meeting.
- He was ________ by his aunt and uncle.
- Can you ________ the issue at the next session?
FAQs
- What does โbring sb upโ mean? It means to raise a child or to mention a topic in conversation.
- Is โbring sb upโ separable? Yes, when it means to raise a child, it can be separated. When meaning to mention a topic, it is usually inseparable.
- Can โbring sb upโ be used for adults? Usually, it refers to raising children, but it can be used metaphorically for teaching or guiding adults.
- What is a synonym for โbring sb upโ? For raising children, โraiseโ or โrearโ are synonyms. For mentioning topics, โmentionโ or โintroduceโ work.
- How do I use โbring sb upโ in a sentence? Example: โThey brought up their children with strong values.โ
