take up

4 meanings

Meanings
  1. 1 use an amount of space, time, or effort B1
  2. 2 start to discuss or deal with an issue or matter B2
  3. 3 start doing a new job or activity, often for fun B1
  4. 4 accept someone's offer, invitation, or challenge B2
1 take sth up

use an amount of space, time, or effort

B1

What does "take up" mean in this sense?

This sense of 'take up' describes something occupying or filling an amount of space, time, or effort. The key idea is that a thing, activity, or task consumes a portion of a resource — for example, a piece of furniture filling part of a room, or a task filling part of your day. It is almost always a thing or activity that does the 'taking up', not a person. This phrasal verb is very common in everyday English and works equally well in conversation, emails, and more formal writing. It is especially useful with quantifiers like 'a lot of', 'too much', 'most of', or 'the whole'.

Examples

How to use it

thing/activity + take up + quantity of resource

This is the core pattern: an inanimate subject occupies an amount of space, time, or effort.

The old printer takes up a lot of space on my desk.

take + object + up

With short noun objects, the particle can move after the object to separate the phrasal verb.

The project took most of the week up, so I had no time for anything else.

take + pronoun + up

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle — it cannot come after 'up'.

I deleted the app because it was taking it up — all my storage space was gone.

take up + too much / a lot of / most of + noun

Quantifying expressions are extremely common with this phrasal verb and make the meaning very clear.

Video files take up too much memory on my phone.

be taking up + resource (present continuous)

The present continuous is natural when describing something that is currently occupying space or time.

Those boxes are taking up the whole hallway — can we move them?

Common Collocations

takes up spacetakes up timetook up the whole afternoontakes up too much memorytakes up a lot of roomtakes up most of the day

Common Mistakes

Person as subject

In this sense, the subject must be a thing or activity, not a person. If a person is the subject, the sentence sounds unnatural or describes a different meaning entirely.

✗ I took up three hours finishing the report.
✓ Finishing the report took up three hours.
Confusing 'take up' with 'use up'

'Use up' means to consume something completely until nothing is left. 'Take up' focuses on occupying a portion of a resource, without implying it has been fully used or exhausted.

✗ The meetings used up most of the conference room all week.
✓ The meetings took up most of the conference room all week.
Pronoun placed after the particle

When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'take' and 'up', never after 'up'.

✗ The software update took up it completely.
✓ The software update took it up completely.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English. It is especially common with abstract resources like time, space, and memory, and is frequently used with quantifiers such as 'a lot of', 'too much', or 'most of'.

2 take sth up

start to discuss or deal with an issue or matter

B2

Sense 2: What does "take sth up" mean?

This sense of 'take up' means to formally address or deal with an issue, matter, or proposal — not just mention it, but actively engage with it in a deliberate, often official way. It strongly suggests an institutional or professional context: a committee schedules a debate, a board reviews a complaint, or a senator agrees to formally address a question. The key idea is purposeful, structured engagement — the issue is already known and is now being properly dealt with. You'll encounter this meaning most often in political reporting, business correspondence, meeting minutes, and legal language. It is rarely used in everyday conversation to mean simply 'discuss'.

Examples

How to use it

subject + take up + issue/matter/question

The most common form — used when the object is a noun phrase referring to an issue or matter, which stays after the particle.

The board agreed to take up the complaint at its next meeting.

subject + take + pronoun + up

When the object is a pronoun such as 'it', 'this', or 'that', it must go between the verb and 'up'.

The manager said she would take it up with the relevant department.

subject + take up + issue/matter + with + person/body

Use 'with' to specify who or which group will formally address the issue.

He decided to take up the matter with the regional council.

issue/matter + be taken up + by + subject

The passive form foregrounds the issue being addressed and is natural in formal writing, reports, and journalism.

The proposal was taken up by a parliamentary subcommittee last month.

agree/plan/expect + to take up + issue/matter

Often used with verbs like 'agree', 'plan', or 'expect' to indicate that formal engagement is scheduled or intended.

The council plans to take up the question of funding at Thursday's session.

Common Collocations

take up the issuetake up the mattertake up the casetake up the questiontake up the complainttake it up

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'take up' with 'bring up'

'Bring up' means to introduce or mention a topic for the first time; 'take up' means to formally address something that is already known or on the agenda. Use 'bring up' when raising an issue, and 'take up' when deliberately dealing with it.

✗ She took up the problem during the meeting — no one had heard about it before.
✓ She brought up the problem during the meeting — no one had heard about it before.
Separating long noun phrase objects

With long or complex noun phrases, 'take up' should not be split. Keep the full noun phrase after the particle; only short pronouns go in the middle.

✗ The court took the question of environmental liability up.
✓ The court took up the question of environmental liability.
Using the continuous form with this sense

Because this sense describes a formal, deliberate process rather than an ongoing action, continuous forms like 'is taking up' or 'was taking up' sound unnatural. Use simple or perfect tenses instead.

✗ The committee is taking up the complaint right now.
✓ The committee has taken up the complaint / will take up the complaint.

Usage

This sense of 'take up' is formal and institutional — you'll mainly hear it in political, legal, or business contexts. It is rarely used in everyday conversation to mean 'discuss'.

3 take sth up

start doing a new job or activity, often for fun

B1

Sense 3: What does "take sth up" mean?

To take up an activity means to start doing it regularly, usually as a hobby or new role — and the key idea is that it's a deliberate choice. You decide to begin something and make it part of your life. It's most often used for hobbies and leisure activities like sports, arts, or crafts, but it also works for starting a new job or position. 'Take up' sounds more natural than simply saying 'start' in casual conversation, especially when talking about pastimes. It usually describes a single decision made at a specific point in the past, so you'll often hear it in the simple past: 'She took up running last year.'

Examples

How to use it

take up + activity/hobby

The most common pattern — the activity or hobby follows directly after the particle with no separation.

He took up cycling when he moved to the countryside.

take up + a role/position/post

Used when someone starts a new job or official role, slightly more formal than the hobby sense.

She took up the position of head chef at the new restaurant.

take + pronoun + up

When you replace the activity with a pronoun like 'it', the pronoun must go between 'take' and 'up'.

My friend suggested swimming, so I decided to take it up.

think about / consider taking up + activity

Often used when someone is planning or considering starting a new hobby.

I've been thinking about taking up photography for a while now.

Common Collocations

take up a hobbytake up runningtake up yogatake up golftake up paintingtake up a sport

Common Mistakes

Separating with a full noun

When the object is a full activity or hobby noun, keep 'take up' together — don't put the noun in the middle. Separation is only natural with short pronouns like 'it'.

✗ She took yoga up after she retired.
✓ She took up yoga after she retired. / She took it up after she retired.
Confusing 'take up' with 'pick up'

'Pick up' suggests you learned or started doing something casually or by chance. 'Take up' means you made a deliberate decision to start something regularly — use it when the choice is intentional.

✗ I picked up golf as a serious new hobby last January.
✓ I took up golf as a serious new hobby last January.
Using the present continuous

Saying 'I am taking up yoga' sounds unnatural in most situations. 'Take up' usually describes a decision, so use the simple past for something already decided, or 'going to' / 'thinking about' for future plans.

✗ I am taking up yoga this month.
✓ I took up yoga this month. / I'm going to take up yoga this month.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English. It refers to a deliberate decision to start an activity regularly, so it often appears in the simple past when talking about when someone began a hobby.

4 take sb up on sth

accept someone's offer, invitation, or challenge

B2

Sense 4: What does "take sb up on sth" mean?

To take someone up on something means to accept an offer, invitation, or challenge that a specific person has made to you. The key idea is that someone has extended an offer and you decide to say yes to it. This phrasal verb almost always follows a fixed structure: you take a person up on whatever they offered — for example, a friend's offer to help you move, or a colleague's suggestion to meet for coffee. It has a warm, slightly playful tone and is extremely common in everyday conversation, emails, and business communication. The phrase 'I'll take you up on that' is one of the most natural and frequently used ways to accept an offer in English.

Examples

How to use it

take + person + up on + offer/invitation/challenge

This is the core structure. The person who made the offer always goes between 'take' and 'up', and 'on' before the thing being accepted is essential — it cannot be left out.

My manager offered to mentor me, and I decided to take her up on the opportunity.

take + pronoun + up on + it/that

When the offer is already clear from context, it can be replaced by 'it' or 'that'. This is very common in spoken English and informal writing.

He said I could borrow his car whenever I needed it — I might just take him up on that.

take + person + up on + that

The short form 'I'll take you up on that' is a high-frequency fixed expression used to accept an offer in a friendly, natural way.

That sounds like a great deal — I'll take you up on that.

take + person + up on + noun phrase

When you want to be more specific, you can name the offer, invitation, or challenge in full after 'on'.

She finally took him up on his invitation to visit the studio after months of saying she was too busy.

might/could + take + person + up on + offer

Modal verbs like 'might' or 'could' are common with this phrasal verb when you want to signal that you're considering accepting an offer without committing fully yet.

I might take you up on your offer of help once things get busier next month.

Common Collocations

take someone up on an offertake someone up on a suggestiontake someone up on a challengetake someone up on an invitationtake someone up on thattake someone up on it

Common Mistakes

Missing the person and 'on'

The full structure requires a person object between 'take' and 'up', followed by 'on'. Saying 'take up an offer' or 'take an offer up' without a person and 'on' either changes the meaning or sounds unnatural in this sense.

✗ I'll take up your offer when I get a chance.
✓ I'll take you up on your offer when I get a chance.
Dropping 'on' from the structure

The preposition 'on' is an essential part of this structure and cannot be removed. Even when the offer is understood from context, 'on' must be kept if the object is named.

✗ She took him up his invitation to join the team.
✓ She took him up on his invitation to join the team.
Confusing this sense with 'take up' meaning to start an activity

Because 'take up' can also mean to start a hobby or activity (e.g. 'take up yoga'), learners sometimes mix up the two. The 'accept an offer' sense always needs a person object followed by 'on' — if there's no person and no 'on', it signals a different meaning.

✗ I took up his challenge without mentioning 'on'.
✓ I took him up on his challenge.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English, including business emails. The pattern 'I'll take you up on that' is a very common, friendly way to accept an offer in conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'take up' in the passive, like 'Two hours were taken up by the meeting'?

It's grammatically possible but sounds quite unnatural in this sense. Because the subject is usually a thing rather than an agent acting on someone, English speakers almost always use the active form. It's much more natural to say 'The meeting took up two hours'.

Does 'take up' always mean using space or time? I've seen it used differently.

No — 'take up' has several different meanings depending on context. For example, it can mean starting a hobby ('She took up painting') or accepting an offer ('He took up the challenge'). The sense on this page is specifically about something occupying a quantity of space, time, or effort, which you can usually spot because the subject is a thing and the object refers to a resource.

What kinds of things can be the object of 'take up' in this sense?

The object is always a quantity of a resource — things like space, time, memory, storage, energy, or effort. You'll often see it with words like 'room', 'bandwidth', 'the whole afternoon', or 'too much of my day'. The object never refers to an activity or a person.

Is it natural to say 'takes up' without saying how much?

Not really — because this phrasal verb is about occupying an amount of something, it almost always needs an object that describes a quantity or resource. Saying just 'it takes up' without any object sounds incomplete. You'd normally add something like 'too much space' or 'most of the time'.

Can 'take up' be used in the passive?

Yes, and it's actually very natural in this sense. The passive form — 'the matter was taken up by…' — is common in formal writing, reports, and news articles because it puts the focus on the issue being addressed rather than on who is addressing it.

Does 'take up' always mean this — to formally address something?

No — 'take up' has several different meanings. It can mean to start a hobby ('she took up painting'), or to occupy space or time ('the sofa takes up too much room'). In this sense, the object is always an issue, matter, complaint, or proposal — not an activity or a physical space.

Can an individual person 'take up' an issue, or is it only for committees and institutions?

Individuals can use it too, but the sense of formal, purposeful engagement stays. For example, 'He took up the complaint with his manager' is natural — it implies he raised it through official channels rather than just mentioning it casually.

Is this expression mainly used in British English or American English?

It's used in both, but it's especially common in formal British contexts such as parliamentary language, committee reports, and broadsheet journalism. American English uses it too, particularly in legal and institutional writing.

Can I use 'take up' in formal writing or reports?

Yes — this is actually one of the contexts where 'take up' fits best. It sounds natural in official correspondence, meeting minutes, and news reporting. It's more formal than everyday synonyms like 'deal with' or 'discuss', which makes it well suited to professional and institutional writing.

Can 'take up' be used for jobs as well as hobbies?

Yes! As well as hobbies, 'take up' is used when someone starts a new job, role, or position — for example, 'He took up the role of team leader.' This is the same core meaning of beginning something deliberately, just applied to a professional context rather than a leisure activity.

Does 'take up' always mean starting a hobby? I've seen it used in other ways.

'Take up' has a few different meanings in English. In this sense, it means starting an activity or role deliberately. But it can also mean occupying space or time (e.g., 'This sofa takes up too much room') or accepting an offer (e.g., 'I'll take up your offer'). Context usually makes the meaning clear, especially because the hobby sense always has a person starting a regular activity.

What kinds of activities can follow 'take up'?

You can use 'take up' with sports, hobbies, arts, and leisure activities — like running, painting, yoga, golf, cooking, or photography. It also works with job roles and positions. The activity should be something a person chooses to do regularly, not a one-time event.

Why is the simple past so common with 'take up'?

Because 'take up' describes a decision to start something, people most often talk about it as something that happened at a specific moment in the past — 'She took up gardening when she retired.' You're referring to the point when the choice was made. The present perfect is also common when talking about recent experiences: 'I've just taken up swimming.'

Does 'take someone up on something' always need a real person as the object?

Yes — in this sense, the object between 'take' and 'up' is always the person who made the offer, not the offer itself. You take a person up on something, not an offer up on something. The offer, invitation, or challenge comes after 'on'.

Can I use 'take someone up on something' in business emails?

Absolutely. This phrasal verb is neutral in tone and works well in both spoken and written English, including professional contexts. A line like 'I'd be happy to take you up on your proposal' is perfectly appropriate in a business email.

Is it natural to say 'I'm taking you up on your offer' in the present continuous?

It's grammatically possible but sounds slightly unnatural. This phrasal verb is much more commonly used in the simple tenses — for example, 'I'll take you up on that' or 'I took her up on the offer'. The present continuous form is rare and can sound a little forced.

Can 'take someone up on something' be used in the passive?

Not naturally. Because the structure always puts a person as the object between 'take' and 'up', the passive doesn't work well here. Stick to the active form: 'I took him up on his offer', rather than trying to make it passive.

What kinds of things can follow 'on' in this structure?

The most common nouns after 'on' are offer, invitation, suggestion, challenge, proposal, bet, and dare — or simply 'that' and 'it' when the context is clear. The word that follows 'on' should be something one person has actively extended to another, such as a chance, a deal, or a recommendation.

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