What Does โHand sb inโ Mean?
โHand sb inโ means to formally give someone to the authorities, usually because they have done something wrong. It is often used when reporting a person to the police or other officials.
Introduction
The phrase โhand sb inโ is a common English phrasal verb used to describe the action of giving someone to the police or an authority figure. When you โhand someone in,โ you usually report them because they have committed a crime or broken a rule. This phrase often appears in contexts like law enforcement or school discipline. Understanding the hand sb in meaning helps learners use it correctly when talking about reporting someone. It is a useful expression in everyday English, especially when discussing responsibility or accountability.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: hand somebody in (hand sb in)
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-intermediate)
- Short meaning: to give someone to the police or authorities
Structure (Grammar Rules)
โHand sb inโ is a separable phrasal verb. This means you can place the object (sb) between โhandโ and โinโ or after the entire phrase.
- hand someone in
- hand in someone
However, the first form is more common and sounds more natural.
Examples of patterns:
- Subject + hand + someone + in
- Subject + hand + in + someone
How to Use โHand sb inโ?
You use โhand sb inโ when you want to say that someone is being given to the police or authorities. It is often used in formal or serious situations involving crime or wrongdoing. For example, if you see someone stealing, you might say, โI will hand him in to the police.โ
The phrase can also be used in less serious contexts, like handing in a student who broke school rules to the principal.
Examples
Imagine you witness a crime and decide to report the person. You could say:
- โShe decided to hand the thief in to the police.โ
- โThe teacher handed the student in for cheating during the exam.โ
- โIf you find out who did this, you should hand them in.โ
- โHe was handed in by his own family for breaking the law.โ
- โHand sb in in a sentence: The shopkeeper handed the shoplifter in after seeing him steal.โ
Common Mistakes
Sometimes English learners confuse โhand sb inโ with similar phrases like โhand inโ (which means to submit something) or misuse the object placement.
- Incorrect: I will hand in him to the police.
- Correct: I will hand him in to the police.
- Incorrect: She handed in the thief.
- Correct: She handed the thief in.
- Incorrect: I will hand in my homework to the teacher. (This is correct but different meaning)
Remember, โhand sb inโ always involves a person and giving them to authorities, not submitting documents or homework.
Differences / Synonyms
There are similar phrasal verbs like โturn sb inโ and โreport sb,โ but they have slight differences.
- Turn sb in: Very similar to โhand sb in,โ also means to give someone to the police. It is more informal and common in American English.
- Report sb: Means to tell the authorities about someone, but does not always mean physically giving them over.
While โhand sb inโ often implies physically taking the person to the authorities, โreport sbโ can be just sharing information. โTurn sb inโ and โhand sb inโ are often interchangeable.
Common Collocations
Here are some common objects used with โhand sb inโ and what they mean:
- Hand a criminal in: to give a criminal to the police
- Hand a thief in: to report or give a thief to authorities
- Hand a suspect in: to deliver a suspect to law enforcement
- Hand a student in: used in schools when reporting a student for bad behavior
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of hand sb in:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using โhand sb inโ:
Anna: Did you see who took the money from the office?
Ben: Yes, I did. I think we should hand him in to the manager.
Anna: I agree. Itโs important to be honest.
Ben: Iโll talk to the manager tomorrow and hand him in.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of โhand sb inโ:
- If you catch the thief, you should __________ to the police immediately.
- The teacher __________ the student __________ for cheating on the test.
- They decided to __________ the suspect __________ after the evidence was found.
FAQs
- Q: Can โhand sb inโ be used for objects?
A: No, it is used only for people, usually to give them to the police. - Q: Is โhand sb inโ formal or informal?
A: It is mostly neutral but used in serious contexts. - Q: Can I say โhand in someoneโ?
A: Yes, but it sounds less natural than โhand someone in.โ - Q: What is the difference between โhand sb inโ and โturn sb inโ?
A: Both mean the same, but โturn sb inโ is more informal and common in American English. - Q: Can โhand sb inโ be used in school?
A: Yes, it can mean reporting a student to a teacher or principal.
