get on — have a good relationship
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutralcommon
to have a friendly or harmonious relationship with someone; to interact well and without conflict.
Say it like a native
Textbook My flatmate and I have a very amicable relationship.
Native My flatmate and I get on really well.
'Get on' (BrE) is how people describe an easy relationship; 'amicable relationship' is HR/legal.
Pattern: get on (with someone)
In use
- I don't really get on with my neighbours, but we remain polite.relationships
- In the workplace, being able to get on with colleagues is often considered as important as technical skills.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Do you get on good with your boss?
✓ Do you get on well with your boss?
Use 'get on WELL' (adverb), not 'good'; and 'get on WITH someone'.
Common collocations
get on (well) with— with everyone, well, like a house on fire, fine
Don't confuse it
This sense is figurative and refers to personal relationships, not to physically boarding transport (meaningOrder 1) or making progress with a task (meaningOrder 2).
Related
- get on (board transport) — 'get on' also has the more basic meaning 'board transport'; this is the advanced sense.