get along
2 meanings
have a good relationship with someone
Sense 2: What does "get along" mean?
Examples
- I get along really well with my flatmates — we almost never argue.
- She never really got along with her sister when they were growing up.
- Do you think the new team members will get along with each other?
How to use it
The most common pattern — use 'with' to name the person you have a friendly relationship with.
I've always got along really well with my neighbours.
Add an adverb like 'well', 'fine', 'great', or 'badly' to describe the quality of the relationship.
The two new roommates seem to get along fine.
When the people involved are already clear from context, you can drop 'with' and its object entirely.
We put the two dogs in the same room and they got along perfectly.
Use this fixed pattern to describe someone's personality — whether they are easy or difficult to have a good relationship with.
My new manager is really easy to get along with — she's friendly and patient.
Use 'each other' to emphasise that the relationship is mutual between two or more people.
The team members don't always agree, but they get along with each other well.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
Because 'get along' is intransitive, you cannot put a person directly after it — you must use 'with' first.
When the object of 'with' is a task or situation (not a person), 'get along with' means something different — to manage or make progress on something. Stick to people or groups when using this sense.
'Get along' describes the quality of a relationship; 'get together' describes the act of meeting. They are not interchangeable.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and suits both spoken and written English. It is more common in American English; British speakers often say 'get on with' instead, but 'get along with' is understood everywhere.
manage or deal with a situation
Sense 3: What does "get along" mean?
Examples
- How are you getting along with the new software?
- She managed to get along without a car for six months.
- He wasn't getting along very well in his new role, so he asked for more support.
How to use it
The most common pattern — use an adverb to describe how well someone is managing.
She's only been in the new role for a month, but she's already getting along well.
Use 'without' to say someone is managing in the absence of something they might normally need.
After selling the car, they found they could get along perfectly well without it.
Use a prepositional phrase to specify the situation or environment someone is coping in.
Are you getting along all right in your new apartment?
Use 'on' to describe the resources — such as money, time, or energy — someone is managing with.
It's tough, but we're getting along on a single income for now.
This question form is very common when checking on someone's progress or wellbeing after a change in circumstances.
How are your parents getting along since they retired?
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When 'with' is followed by a person, 'get along' almost always reads as meaning 'have a friendly relationship with', not 'cope'. To express the manage/cope sense, use 'without', a circumstantial phrase, or an adverb instead.
'Get along' in this sense is intransitive — it never takes a direct object. You cannot place a noun or pronoun between or directly after 'get along' to show what you're managing.
'Get by' emphasises barely surviving or making do with very little, while 'get along' suggests a broader sense of coping or progressing that doesn't necessarily imply struggle. They're close in meaning but not always interchangeable.
Usage
This sense is more common in American English; British speakers tend to use 'get on' instead (e.g. 'How are you getting on?'). Both are widely understood. This phrasal verb is neutral and suits everyday conversation well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I say 'get along' without 'with'? Or do I always need it?
'With' is optional when it's already clear from context who the people are. 'Do you think they'll get along?' is perfectly natural. But if you're mentioning the other person for the first time, you need 'with': 'I get along really well with my boss.'
Is 'get along' American English? My British textbook uses 'get on'.
Both are correct — 'get along with' is more common in American English, while British English speakers tend to prefer 'get on with'. The meaning is exactly the same, and both are widely understood everywhere.
Does 'get along' always mean having a good relationship, or can it be negative too?
It describes the quality of the relationship, which can be good or bad. Adding an adverb makes this clear: 'get along well' is positive, while 'don't get along' or 'never got along' signals a difficult relationship. Without any adverb, the phrase is slightly more positive by default.
Can I use 'get along' to talk about animals, teams, or groups — not just individual people?
Yes, absolutely. You can say 'the two cats finally get along' or 'the departments don't get along well with each other'. As long as you're describing how well two sides coexist, 'get along' works naturally.
What's the difference between 'get along' and 'get along with' — is the 'with' part of the phrasal verb?
'With' introduces the person you're in a relationship with, so it's used when you name that person. The core phrasal verb is 'get along', and 'with' follows naturally when needed. Think of it like 'agree' — you can say 'we agree' or 'we agree with them', depending on context.
Is 'get along' in this meaning more American or British English?
It's more commonly used in American English. British speakers tend to say 'get on' in the same way — for example, 'How are you getting on?' rather than 'How are you getting along?' However, both forms are widely understood on either side of the Atlantic.
Can I use 'get along' to talk about managing without a specific thing?
Yes — this is one of the most natural uses of this phrasal verb. You simply add 'without' followed by what you're managing without, for example: 'I can't believe how well she's getting along without her phone.' It's a very common pattern.
Does 'get along' here describe a state or an action? Does that affect which tenses I can use?
It describes an ongoing process of coping or progressing, so it works naturally with continuous tenses like 'is getting along' or 'was getting along'. The present simple ('I get along fine on my own') and past simple also sound natural. Very complex tenses like the future perfect or past perfect continuous feel unnatural with this verb.
Can 'get along' in this sense be used without any extra words, or does it always need something after it?
It can stand alone — 'How are you getting along?' is a perfectly natural question with no extra phrase needed. Adding an adverb, a 'without' phrase, or a prepositional phrase gives more detail, but the verb works fine on its own, especially in questions about someone's general progress.
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