pick up — answer the phone
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcore
To answer a phone call.
Say it like a native
Textbook She did not respond to my telephone call.
Native She didn't pick up.
'Pick up' is the natural verb for answering a call; 'respond to a telephone call' is formal.
Pattern: pick up (the phone)
In use
- Sorry, I couldn't pick up because I was in a meeting.communication
- If I'm busy, I usually don't pick up unknown numbers.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Nobody picked up the phone to me.
✓ Nobody picked up. / Nobody answered the phone.
'Pick up' usually stands alone for calls — adding 'to me' is unnatural.
Common collocations
pick up + phone/call— the phone, right away, after two rings, when I call
Don't confuse it
Not about collecting or learning, but about answering calls.
Related
- pick up (collect) — Another meaning of 'pick up' is 'collect'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.