What Does “Call sth up” Mean?
“Call sth up” means to bring information, a memory, or data into your mind or onto a device. It often refers to recalling memories or accessing stored information.
Introduction
The phrase “call sth up” is a common English phrasal verb used in both everyday conversation and technical contexts. “Call sth up meaning” involves retrieving or accessing something previously stored, such as a memory, a file, or a detail. For example, you might call up a memory from your childhood or call up a document on your computer screen. This phrase is useful because it helps express the action of bringing something to attention, either mentally or digitally. Understanding how to use “call sth up” correctly will improve your fluency and comprehension in English.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: call something up
- Type: transitive
- Level: B1 (Intermediate)
- Short meaning: to bring information, memories, or data into mind or onto a device
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Call sth up” is a separable phrasal verb. This means you can place the object between “call” and “up” or after the entire phrase.
- call something up (correct) — e.g., call the file up
- call up something (correct) — e.g., call up the file
- Do not separate “call” and “up” with extra words.
Both forms are correct, but placing the object between the verb and the particle is more common in spoken English.
How to Use “Call sth up”?
You can use “call sth up” in different contexts:
- Memory: To remember or recall something.
- Technology: To access or display information on a device.
- Communication: Sometimes used to mean “call someone” but less common.
For example, you might say, “I called up an old photo on my phone” or “That song calls up good memories.”
Examples
- Can you call up the report on your computer?
- That smell calls up memories of my childhood.
- I called up the customer’s details before the meeting.
- When I think of the beach, it calls up a feeling of calm.
- She called up the document and started editing it.
These examples show “call sth up in a sentence” used naturally in different situations.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: I call uped the file yesterday.
Correct: I called up the file yesterday. - Incorrect: Can you call up for the photo?
Correct: Can you call up the photo? - Incorrect: She calls uped the memory.
Correct: She called up the memory.
Remember to use the correct past tense “called” and place objects properly.
Differences / Synonyms
- Call back: To return a phone call, different from recalling information.
- Look up: To search for information, often in a book or database. “Call up” emphasizes bringing information to the screen or mind.
- Recall: A formal synonym meaning to remember something.
“Call sth up” usually implies an active retrieval, while “look up” suggests searching and finding.
Common Collocations
- call up a memory
- call up a file
- call up a document
- call up a photo
- call up information
- call up details
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of call sth up:
Real-life Dialogue
Tom: Can you call up the sales report for last month?
Anna: Sure, I’ll call it up on my laptop now.
Tom: Thanks. Also, that song you played earlier really called up some old memories.
Anna: I know! Music can do that sometimes.
Practice
Fill in the blank with the correct form of “call up”:
- Yesterday, I _______ the recipe on my phone.
- This smell always _______ my childhood.
- Can you _______ the latest email from the client?
FAQs
- What does “call sth up” mean? It means to bring a memory or information into your mind or onto a device.
- Is “call sth up” separable? Yes, you can place the object between “call” and “up” or after the phrase.
- Can “call sth up” mean to phone someone? It is rarely used this way; “call someone” or “call back” is more common for phone calls.
- What is a synonym for “call sth up”? “Recall” or “look up” depending on the context.
- How do I use “call sth up” in a sentence? Example: “I called up the document before the meeting.”