Meaning trap
get down
enjoy oneself (slang)
To dance energetically or enjoy oneself enthusiastically, especially at a party or social event; to let loose and have fun (informal, often used in reference to music or dancing).
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To dance energetically or enjoy oneself enthusiastically, especially at a party or social event; to let loose and have fun (informal, often used in reference to music or dancing).
'get down' also has the more basic meaning 'make someone sad'; this is the advanced sense.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- Everyone was really getting down on the dance floor when the DJ played that old-school track.slang
- While some people prefer quiet gatherings, others love to get down at lively parties, enjoying the music and atmosphere to the fullest.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: get down (to something)
WrongLet's get down ourselves at the club.
RightLet's get down at the club.
'Get down' (this sense) is intransitive — no reflexive.
Patternget down (to something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Get down' (slang) is the dance-floor phrase; the literal description is flat and dated.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
get down (dance)on the dance floortonightand partyto the music
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B1 sense ('make someone sad') and the B2 sense ('write down'), this sense is a slang expression meaning to have fun, especially by dancing. It does not relate to sadness or recording information.
Related
- get down (make someone sad) — 'get down' also has the more basic meaning 'make someone sad'; this is the advanced sense.