catch on — understand
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To begin to understand something, especially after not understanding at first.
Say it like a native
Textbook It took me some time to comprehend what was actually happening.
Native It took me a while to catch on.
'Catch on' is the casual verb for finally getting it; 'comprehend' is formal.
Pattern: catch on (to [something])
In use
- It took me a while to catch on, but now I understand how the system works.study
- At first, I found the instructions confusing, but I caught on after watching a few videos.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She didn't catch on the joke.
✓ She didn't catch on to the joke. / She didn't catch on.
'Catch on TO something', or 'catch on' alone — don't drop 'to' before the thing.
Common collocations
catch on (to)— quickly, to the joke, fast, eventually
Don't confuse it
'Catch on' (understand) is about finally understanding, not about becoming popular.
Related
- catch on (become popular) — Another meaning of 'catch on' is 'become popular'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.