The English phrase “take on” has five meanings. You can learn phrase expressions that are difficult to guess from the meanings of English words alone. Here is the secret to learning English that can be used globally!
Learning video about the phrase “take on”
Meanings of “take on”｜Summary
- To become loaded or filled with someone or something, as a vessel.
- To accept or undertake a task, or responsibility.
- To hire someone.
- To compete against someone.
- To acquire certain characteristics over time.
* Following are definitions and example sentences of the English phrase “take on.”
1st meaning – To become loaded or filled with someone or something, as a vessel.
eg. The Titanic began taking on water after hitting the iceberg.
2nd meaning – To accept or undertake a task, or responsibility.
eg.1 He is going to take on the job of running the family business.
eg.2 The engineer will take on the task of training the new employees in his department.
3rd meaning – To hire someone.
eg. We need to take on more engineers as our business is growing rapidly.
4th meaning – To compete against someone.
eg. I want to get that open position in the Paris office, but I have to take on Pete who has more experience and can speak French.
5th meaning – To acquire certain characteristics over time.
eg. He has started to take on the stereotypical mannerisms of an Ivy League professor.