get by
B1Informal, Neutral
Definition
Meaning
To manage to live or survive, especially with barely enough of something (money, skill, etc.).
To be just acceptable or adequate; to pass or be accepted without drawing much attention, sometimes despite not being ideal.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Focuses on sufficiency, not excellence. Implies a struggle or minimal condition. Often used with adverbs like 'just', 'barely', or 'somehow' to emphasize difficulty.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is highly similar. 'Get by' is very common in both varieties. Minor differences may appear in typical collocates (e.g., currency or institutional names in examples).
Connotations
Carries the same connotations of minimal sufficiency and informal coping in both dialects.
Frequency
Extremely frequent in both varieties with no significant disparity.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SUBJECT + get bySUBJECT + get by + on + NOUN PHRASE (money, salary)SUBJECT + get by + with + NOUN PHRASE (help, tool)SUBJECT + get by + without + NOUN PHRASE/VERB-INGVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Live from hand to mouth (stronger implication of poverty)”
- “Make ends meet (specifically financial)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Can describe a company barely surviving in a market: 'The small firm just gets by on a few local contracts.'
Academic
Rare in formal academic writing. May appear in sociological or economic texts discussing poverty.
Everyday
Very common for discussing personal finances, skills, or daily coping: 'My French isn't great, but I can get by.'
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- With her pension, she can just about get by.
- My German is rusty, but I got by in Berlin.
American English
- We get by on my husband's income.
- He got by with a 'C' in the class.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I don't speak much English, but I can get by.
- They get by with very little money.
- We can get by on one car for now.
- Her cooking isn't fantastic, but it gets by.
- The restaurant gets by thanks to its loyal regulars, not new customers.
- You can't get by in this job without basic computer skills.
- The regime got by for years on propaganda and foreign loans before the economy collapsed.
- His thesis was far from groundbreaking, but the argument was coherent enough to get by the review panel.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine someone trying to GET past (BY) a difficult obstacle with the bare minimum of resources.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A JOURNEY; 'Getting by' is travelling along a path with just enough fuel/resources to continue moving forward.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'получить мимо'.
- Avoid confusing with 'get over' (оправиться) or 'get through' (пройти через).
- Can overlap with 'обходиться' or 'сводить концы с концами', but 'get by' is less formal.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for temporary, one-time events (Incorrect: 'I got by the exam yesterday.' Correct: 'I got through/passed the exam.').
- Using a continuous tense for a permanent state (Often acceptable but stilted: 'I am getting by' vs the more natural 'I get by').
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'get by' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral to informal. It is perfectly acceptable in everyday conversation and informal writing but is rarely used in highly formal or academic texts.
'Get by' strongly implies doing something with minimal resources or just barely enough skill. 'Manage' is more neutral and can imply a better outcome or more effective handling. 'We managed the project' is different from 'We got by on the project', which suggests a struggle.
No, 'get by' is intransitive and does not take a direct object. It is followed by prepositions like 'on', 'with', or 'without' (e.g., get by on a pension).
No, while commonly financial, it can apply to any minimal sufficiency: language skills ('get by in Spanish'), quality ('a get-by solution'), or coping in any situation.