hand over

give something or someone to another person, often because they ask for it

B1

What does "hand sb/sth over" mean?

To hand over something means to give it directly to another person, especially when you are required to, asked to, or have little choice. The transfer usually involves some kind of pressure, obligation, or formal ceremony — someone might be forced to hand over their passport at a border, or a manager might hand over responsibility to a colleague before leaving a job. This phrasal verb focuses on the moment of transfer from one specific person to another, and it often implies that the person giving may not be entirely willing. You will hear it a lot in news stories about crime, politics, and business — for example, when a criminal surrenders stolen goods or a leader passes power to a successor. It works for both physical things like money or keys and more abstract things like control or authority.

Examples

How to use it

hand over + object

The most common pattern, used when transferring something to another person, often under pressure or as part of a formal process.

The security guard told him to hand over his bag for inspection.

hand + object + over

With noun objects, you can place the object between 'hand' and 'over' — both positions are natural and equally correct.

She handed the keys over to the new owner and said goodbye to the house.

hand + pronoun + over

When using a pronoun like 'it', 'them', or 'him', the pronoun must go between 'hand' and 'over' — it cannot come after 'over'.

The thief grabbed her purse, but she refused to hand it over.

be handed over + to + recipient

The passive form is very natural, especially in news or formal contexts describing transfers of evidence, people, or power.

The stolen documents were handed over to the investigators the following morning.

hand over + object + to + recipient

Use 'to' to name the specific person or group receiving the thing being transferred.

The outgoing director handed over control of the project to her replacement.

Common Collocations

hand over moneyhand over the keyshand over evidencehand over controlhand over documentshand over responsibility

Common Mistakes

Pronoun placement

When the object is a pronoun (it, them, him, her), it must go between 'hand' and 'over'. Placing it after 'over' is always wrong.

✗ The officer asked him to hand over it.
✓ The officer asked him to hand it over.
Confusing 'hand over' with 'hand in'

'Hand in' is used for submitting something to an institution, like homework to a teacher or a notice to an employer. 'Hand over' means transferring something directly to a specific person, often under pressure — it always has a clear, identifiable recipient.

✗ He handed over his resignation to HR and left the office.
✓ He handed in his resignation to HR and left the office.
Separating with a very long noun phrase

When the object is a very long phrase, it sounds unnatural to split 'hand' and 'over'. Keep long objects after 'over' instead.

✗ She handed all the confidential financial records from the past five years over to the auditors.
✓ She handed over all the confidential financial records from the past five years to the auditors.

Usage

Often implies reluctance or pressure — look for signals like 'forced to', 'refused to', or 'demanded'. Also common in news and business when describing transfers of power or authority.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'hand over' be used for people, not just things?

Yes, 'hand over' works naturally when referring to people as well as objects. You might read in the news that a country handed over a suspect to another government, or that a hostage was handed over safely. The same grammar rules apply — 'hand him over', 'hand her over', or 'they were handed over to the authorities'.

Does 'hand over' always involve force or pressure?

Not always, but there is usually some kind of reason or obligation driving the transfer — it is rarely just a casual, spontaneous gift. It can describe formal ceremonies, like handing over power to a new leader, or situations involving demand or compulsion, like a robbery. Look for phrases like 'forced to', 'agreed to', or 'refused to' as signals of the typical tone.

Is 'handover' one word or two?

When you use it as a noun, it is written as one word: 'handover' (or sometimes 'hand-over'). For example, 'a smooth handover of power' or 'the handover took place on Monday'. The phrasal verb, however, is always two words: 'hand over'.

Can I use 'hand over' in the present continuous — for example, 'I am handing over the documents now'?

It is possible but not very common for a single moment in the present. It sounds more natural to say 'I'm handing over the documents this week' when describing an ongoing process that takes some time. For something happening right now, the simple present or imperative form usually sounds more natural in English.

Is 'hand over' used differently in British and American English?

'Hand over' is used in both British and American English with the same meaning. In American English, you might also hear 'turn over' when someone surrenders something to the authorities, but 'hand over' is perfectly natural and understood in both varieties.

Related Phrasal Verbs

turn sb/sth over

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