What Does “Hand sb over” Mean?
“Hand sb over” means to give someone to another person, usually to the authorities or someone in charge. It often refers to transferring responsibility or custody.
Introduction
The phrase “hand sb over” is a common phrasal verb in English that you will often hear in formal and everyday contexts. The “sb” stands for “somebody,” meaning a person. This expression typically involves giving someone to another person or group, such as when a suspect is handed over to the police or a child is handed over to a guardian. Understanding the “hand sb over meaning” helps learners grasp how to use it in different situations, from legal contexts to casual conversations. It is important to know that this phrase usually implies transferring control or responsibility, not just physically giving something.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: hand somebody over
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: to give a person to someone else, often to the police or authorities
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Hand sb over” is a separable phrasal verb. You can place the object (somebody) between “hand” and “over,” or after “over.”
- hand somebody over
- hand over somebody
Examples:
- They handed the suspect over to the police.
- They handed over the suspect to the police.
How to Use “Hand sb over”?
This phrasal verb is used when talking about transferring a person’s custody or responsibility. It is often used in legal or official contexts but can also be used in everyday speech when someone is given to another person for care or control. You can use it in past, present, or future tenses depending on the situation.
Examples
Imagine a situation where the police arrest a suspect. They will hand the suspect over to the court or another authority.
- The police handed the criminal over to the court yesterday.
- After the investigation, the officer handed over the witness to the detective.
- The parents agreed to hand their child over to the relatives for the weekend.
- He was handed over to the authorities after being caught.
- The prisoner will be handed over to another prison next week.
These examples show how “hand sb over” is used in sentences.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes, learners confuse the word order or use “hand over” without an object, which can change the meaning or make the sentence unclear.
- Incorrect: The police handed over yesterday.
- Correct: The police handed the suspect over yesterday.
- Incorrect: She handed over to the teacher.
- Correct: She handed the report over to the teacher.
Remember, “hand sb over” requires a person as the object to make sense.
Differences / Synonyms
There are similar phrasal verbs like “give sb up” and “turn sb in,” but they have slight differences.
- Give sb up: Often means to stop supporting or abandoning someone, or to surrender a person to the police.
- Turn sb in: Means to report someone to the authorities, usually for a crime.
“Hand sb over” focuses more on physically transferring custody, while “turn sb in” emphasizes reporting, and “give sb up” can mean either surrendering or abandoning.
Common Collocations
We often use “hand sb over” with certain nouns. Here are some common collocations:
- Hand the suspect over – give a person suspected of a crime to the police
- Hand the prisoner over – transfer a prisoner to authorities
- Hand a child over – give a child to another person
- Hand over control – transfer responsibility or power
- Hand over documents – give important papers (less common, but possible)
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of hand sb over:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using “hand sb over”:
Officer: We caught the suspect near the station.
Detective: Good. Please hand him over to me immediately.
Officer: Right away, sir.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “hand sb over”:
- The police __________ the thief __________ to the court last week.
- The school will __________ the student __________ to his parents after the meeting.
- After the arrest, they __________ the suspect __________ to the authorities.
FAQs
- What does “hand sb over” mean? It means to give someone to another person, often to the police or authorities.
- Is “hand sb over” separable? Yes, you can put the object between “hand” and “over” or after “over.”
- Can I use “hand sb over” in informal situations? Yes, but it is more common in formal or official contexts.
- What is the difference between “hand sb over” and “turn sb in”? “Hand sb over” means to give someone to someone else physically, while “turn sb in” means to report someone to authorities.
- Can “hand sb over” be used with things? It is mainly used with people, but sometimes with responsibility or control.
