What Does “Bring sth down” Mean?
“Bring sth down” is a phrasal verb that means to cause something to fall or reduce something in level, amount, or intensity.
Introduction
The phrase “bring sth down” is commonly used in English to describe lowering or reducing something physically, emotionally, or figuratively. The “sth” stands for “something,” so this phrasal verb can apply to many contexts, such as bringing down a building, reducing prices, or lowering emotions. Understanding the “bring sth down meaning” helps learners use it correctly in both spoken and written English. It is a versatile phrase that appears in business, everyday conversation, and even in emotional expressions.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: bring something down
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B1 (Intermediate)
- Short meaning: To cause something to fall or reduce something
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Bring sth down” is a separable phrasal verb. This means you can place the object either between “bring” and “down” or after “down.”
- bring something down
- bring down something
Examples:
- They will bring the prices down next week.
- They will bring down the prices next week.
How to Use “Bring sth down”?
Use “bring sth down” when you want to talk about lowering or reducing something. It can refer to physical things, such as buildings or trees, or abstract things, such as costs, emotions, or statistics. It often appears in contexts where change or improvement is described.
For example, you can say “bring down the cost of living” to talk about reducing expenses. Or “bring down a wall” to describe demolishing a structure.
Examples
- They plan to bring down the old factory next month.
- The new policy will bring down unemployment rates.
- Try to bring down your stress before the exam.
- The company is working hard to bring down prices for customers.
- Bring sth down in a sentence: “We need to bring down the noise level in this room.”
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: Please bring down the quickly prices.
Correct: Please bring down the prices quickly. - Incorrect: She bring down the wall yesterday.
Correct: She brought down the wall yesterday. - Incorrect: Bring down stress it is important.
Correct: Bringing down stress is important.
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include:
- Take down: Usually means to write or record something or to physically lower something carefully.
- Knock down: Often means to hit something so it falls or to demolish a structure.
- Cut down: Typically refers to cutting trees or reducing amounts.
Bring sth down focuses more on causing something to fall or reducing something, often in a controlled or planned way. For example, “bring down prices” is more common than “knock down prices.”
Common Collocations
- Bring down a building
- Bring down prices
- Bring down the government
- Bring down stress
- Bring down the temperature
- Bring down unemployment
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of bring sth down:
Real-life Dialogue
Anna: The city council wants to bring down the old library.
John: Really? Why?
Anna: They say it’s unsafe and want to build a new one.
John: That makes sense. It’s better to bring down the old building than risk accidents.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “bring down”:
- The government hopes to _______ taxes next year.
- They _______ the damaged tree after the storm.
- We should try to _______ our energy bills.
- She _______ the old fence yesterday.
FAQs
- Q: Is “bring sth down” separable?
A: Yes, you can place the object between “bring” and “down” or after “down.” - Q: Can “bring sth down” be used for emotions?
A: Yes, it can mean lowering emotions like stress or sadness. - Q: What is the difference between “bring down” and “knock down”?
A: “Bring down” is often planned or controlled, while “knock down” suggests force or accident. - Q: Can I say “bring down the prices”?
A: Yes, it means to reduce prices. - Q: Is “bring sth down” formal or informal?
A: It is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
