Get By

A2 8+
Pronunciation Definitions Examples Grammatical Forms Origin and Evolution

Pronunciation: /ɡɛt baɪ/

Definitions of get by

verb to manage to survive or cope in a particular situation

Example Sentences

A1 I can get by in Spanish when I travel to Mexico.

A2 She can get by with just a few basic phrases in French.

B1 Despite not being fluent, he manages to get by in Italian.

B2 With some effort, they were able to get by in a foreign country.

C1 Even without complete mastery, he can get by in multiple languages.

C2 She has such a strong language foundation that she can easily get by in any situation.

adverb used to describe how someone is able to manage or survive in a particular situation

Example Sentences

A1 I can get by in Spanish when I travel to Mexico.

A2 She can get by with just a few basic phrases in French.

B1 Despite not being fluent, he can get by in Italian for everyday tasks.

B2 With some effort, I can get by in Mandarin during business meetings.

C1 Even though she's not a native speaker, she can get by in Japanese fluently.

C2 He can easily get by in multiple languages due to his extensive travel experience.

Examples of get by in a Sentence

formal Despite facing financial difficulties, she managed to get by with careful budgeting.

informal I don't make much money, but I can still get by each month.

slang I hustle hard to get by in this city.

figurative Sometimes, all you can do is get by until things get better.

Grammatical Forms of get by

past tense

got by

plural

get by

comparative

getting by

superlative

getting by

present tense

gets by

future tense

will get by

perfect tense

has got by

continuous tense

is getting by

singular

gets by

positive degree

gets by

infinitive

get by

gerund

getting by

participle

got by

Origin and Evolution of get by

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'get by' originated in Middle English as a combination of the Old Norse word 'geta' meaning 'to obtain' and the Old English word 'bi' meaning 'near or close'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'get by' evolved to mean managing to survive or cope with a situation, often with difficulty or without much support. It is commonly used in modern English to describe getting through a difficult or challenging situation with minimal resources or assistance.