What Does “Take sb on” Mean?
“Take sb on” means to accept a challenge, responsibility, or to employ someone. It often involves facing a task or person directly.
Introduction
The phrasal verb Take sb on is common in English and has several related meanings. It can mean to hire someone for a job, accept a challenge or responsibility, or compete against someone. Understanding the Take sb on meaning helps learners use it correctly in different situations. This phrase is useful in both formal and informal contexts, making it an important part of everyday English.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: Take somebody on
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: To accept a challenge, responsibility, or employ someone
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Take sb on” is a separable phrasal verb. You can place the object (somebody) between “take” and “on,” or after “on.”
- Take somebody on
- Take on somebody
Example patterns:
- Subject + take + somebody + on
- Subject + take on + somebody
How to Use Take sb on?
Use “take sb on” when you want to say you are accepting a new employee, facing a competitor, or agreeing to a task. It fits well in business, sports, and everyday conversations.
For example, in a job context, it means hiring someone. In sports, it means competing against someone. In responsibility, it means accepting a challenge.
Examples
Here are some sentences using “Take sb on in a sentence” to show different meanings:
- The company decided to take on five new employees this year.
- Are you ready to take him on in the chess match?
- She took on the responsibility of organizing the event.
- Our team will take on the champions in the final game.
- They took her on as a trainee last month.
Common Mistakes
Many learners confuse the word order or the meaning. Here are examples of incorrect vs correct usage:
- Incorrect: I will take on the new worker.
Correct: I will take on the new worker. (Correct word order but better as “take on somebody” meaning “hire”) - Incorrect: She took on responsibility the new.
Correct: She took on the new responsibility. - Incorrect: They take somebody on the challenge.
Correct: They take on the challenge.
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include “hire,” “accept,” and “challenge.” However, “take sb on” has unique uses:
- Hire: Only means to employ, not to compete or accept challenges.
- Accept: More general; “take on” implies action or responsibility.
- Challenge: Usually a noun or verb, but “take sb on” means to compete or confront.
So, “take sb on” combines ideas of employment, challenge, and responsibility depending on context.
Common Collocations
We often use “take sb on” with these objects:
- Employees: To hire workers
- Challenges: To accept difficult tasks
- Responsibility: To accept duties
- Opponents: To compete against others
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of take sb on:
- Take Sth Out Of Sbs Hands
- Take It Out Of Sb
- Take Sb Aside
- Take Sb Out Of Themselves
- Take Your Eyes Off Sth
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using “take sb on”:
Anna: Are you going to take on the new project at work?
Ben: Yes, I think I’m ready to take on more responsibility.
Anna: That’s great! Also, did you hear they’re taking on new staff?
Ben: Yes, I might apply for the assistant position.
Practice
Try this exercise to improve your understanding of “take sb on”:
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “take on”:
- The company decided to _____ three new interns this summer.
- Our team will _____ their rivals in the next match.
- She agreed to _____ the responsibility of managing the event.
- Do you want to _____ me in the game?
FAQ
- What does “take sb on” mean? It means to accept a challenge, responsibility, or hire someone.
- Is “take sb on” separable? Yes, you can say “take somebody on” or “take on somebody.”
- Can “take sb on” be used in sports? Yes, it means to compete against someone.
- What is a common mistake with “take sb on”? Incorrect word order or confusing its meaning with just “hire.”
- What are synonyms of “take sb on”? Hire, accept, challenge, but context matters.
