pick up

recoger

pick up(pihk uhp)

transitive verb phrase

1. (to collect)

a. recoger

Can you pick up your suit from the dry cleaner?

¿Puedes recoger tu traje de la tintorería?

I'll pick Mom up from the airport.

Yo recojo a mamá del aeropuerto.

b. buscar

Is anyone going to pick you up?

¿Irá alguien a buscarte?

c. pasar a buscar

If you need a ride, I can pick you up.

Si necesitas un aventón, puedo pasarte a buscar.

2. (to take from the floor)

a. recoger

Pick up your litter!

¡Recoge la basura!

b. levantar

She picked the chair up off the floor.

Levantó la silla del suelo.

c. alzar

I picked up the baby and kissed his cheek.

Alcé el bebé y le besé la mejilla.

3. (to answer)

a. contestar

I never pick up the phone before 7 am.

Nunca contesto el teléfono antes de las 7 am.

b. coger

Pick up the phone, will you?

¡Vamos, coge el teléfono!

4. (to learn)

a. aprender

My sister picks up languages very easily.

Mi hermana aprende idiomas muy fácilmente.

b. agarrar

(Latin America)

It was easy for her to pick up knitting.

Le fue fácil agarrar el tejido.

c. coger

She picked up the native accent immediately.

Cogió el acento nativo enseguida.

5. (to arrest)

a. detener

The thief was hiding nearby until the police came and picked him up.

El ladrón estaba escondiendo por aquí cerca hasta que vino la policía y lo detuvo.

b. agarrar

After a massive search, they finally picked up the criminals.

Tras una búsqueda exhaustiva, finalmente agarraron a los criminales.

6. (telecomunications)

a. recibir

The radio isn't picking up a signal.

Mi radio no recibe una señal.

b. agarrar

(Latin America)

My computer doesn't pick up your wifi.

My computadora no agarra tu red inalámbrica.

c. coger

In this area my phone doesn't pick up the signal.

En esta zona mi móvil no coge la señal.

7. (to restart)

a. retomar

Can we pick up the conversation where we left off?

¿Podemos retomar la conversación donde nos quedamos?

8. (illness)

a. pillar

You're more likely to pick up that disease in hot places.

Es más probable que pilles la enfermedad en lugares calurosos.

9. (to understand)

a. captar

I didn't pick up the hint.

No capté la indirecta.

10.

(colloquial)

(to seduce)

a. ligar con

(colloquial)

He picked up a girl at the bar last night.

Ligó con una chica en el bar anoche.

intransitive verb phrase

11. (to improve)

a. mejorar

Things at home are finally picking up.

Por fin las cosas están mejorando en casa.

b. recuperarse

Sales are picking up.

Las ventas se van recuperando.

12. (to strengthen)

a. levantarse

The wind's picking up; it's going to be a rough crossing.

El viento se levanta; la travesía será dura.

13. (telecommunications)

a. contestar

I tried ringing my aunt several times, but she didn't pick up.

Traté varias veces de llamar a mi tía, pero no contestó.

14. (to continue)

a. continuar

I found it impossible to pick up where I was before the interruption; I was too upset.

Me fue imposible continuar por donde iba antes de la interrupción; estaba muy alterado.

pick up

transitive verb phrase

1. (lift up)

a. recoger

b. coger

(Spain)

to p up the phonedescolgar el teléfono

to p up survivorsrescatar supervivientes

2. (fig)

a.

to p oneself uprecuperarse

3. (fig)

a.

to p up the piecesempezar de nuevo

4. (also fig)

a.

tabpagar la cuenta

5. (collect)

a. recoger

6. (arrest)

a. detener

7. (acquire, learn)

a. aprender

to p up speedganar velocidad

8. (radio station)

a. sintonizar

9. (message)

a. captar, recibir

10. (notice)

a. percatarse de

11. (discussion)

a. reanudar

12. (make better)

a.

that will p you upeso te reconfortará

13. (colloquial)

a.

to p somebody upligarse or

intransitive verb

14. (improve)

a. mejorar

business is picking upel negocio se va animando

15. (continue)

a.

let's p up where we left offvamos a seguir por donde estábamos

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

pick up

transitive verb

1 (lift) [+box, suitcase, cat] levantar; [+dropped object] recoger; coger; (take hold of) tomar; coger; agarrar; (LAm)

I saw her fall and ran to pick her up la vi caerse y corrí a levantarla; that child is always wanting to be picked up ese niño siempre quiere que lo cojan or levanten; (LAm) she bent to pick up her glove se agachó para recoger or coger su guante; she picked up a pencil and fiddled with it tomó or cogió or agarró un lápiz y se puso a enredar con él; (LAm) you can't pick up a newspaper these days without reading about her últimamente no puedes coger or agarrar un periódico que no hable de ella; (LAm)

I picked up the pile of books she picked up her suitcase and put it on the luggage rack he picked up the kitten and stroked it he picked his cap up from the floor and stuck it back on his head for goodness sake pick up your clothes - don't leave them lying on the floor the air was full of flying objects, picked up by the winds he stooped down to pick up a coin someone had dropped

to pick up the bill or tab (for sth) pagar la cuenta (de algo)

they left us to pick up the bill for the drinks the taxpayer will have to pick up the tab for the repairs his firm has agreed to pick up the bill for the court case who's going to pick up the tab for all those long distance calls? if you are ill, you must not expect the NHS to pick up the tab! the British public sees no reason why it should pick up the bill

to pick o.s. up levantarse; ponerse de pie; recuperarse; reponerse

she is always quick to pick herself up after defeat we've got to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and pick ourselves up now it is up to the team to pick themselves up and survive he picked himself up and struggled on she picked herself up and tried to brush the dust off her clothes to pick up the [telephone] the telephone rang and Judy picked it up all he had to do was pick up the phone and dial that number

piece

2 (collect) [+person] recoger; ir a buscar; especially (LAm) (give lift to) [+hitch-hiker, passenger] recoger; coger

did you pick up my laundry? ¿recogiste mi colada?

I'll pick you up at 9 o'clock I'll pick you up on the corner I'll pick it up on my way to work we drove to the airport the next morning to pick up Susan she was going over to her parents' house to pick up some clean clothes for Owen parents come to pick up their children from school on the way back from the funeral he picked up two hitchhikers

3 (learn) [+language, skill] aprender; [+accent, habit] coger; agarrar; (LAm) adquirir (formal)

you'll soon pick it up again pronto lo volverás a aprender; I picked up a bit of news about him today hoy me enteré de algunas cosas sobre él

where did you pick up your English? it's not difficult - you'll soon pick it up see what you can pick up about their export scheme she has always been quick to pick things up at school Demiris had a good ear and picked up languages quickly where did you pick up that accent? he had picked up all sorts of bad habits I know that smoking is bad, but once you've picked up the habit, it's not easy to give it up it's an affectation picked up from some friends of mine

4 (buy) comprar; (find) [+bargain] encontrar; (catch) [+disease] coger; agarrar; (LAm) pillar (informal)

an old car he picked up for £250 un coche viejo que compró por 250 libras; I'll pick up some beer on the way back compraré unas cervezas a la vuelta; I may pick up some useful ideas for my book puede que encuentre algunas ideas útiles para mi libro

I'm just going to pick up some things for lunch I picked up a real bargain Lana had picked up an infection after her operation they've picked up a really nasty infection from something they've eaten some kind of food poisoning that they picked up at dinner

5 (earn, gain) ganar; sacarse

she picks up £400 a week gana or se saca 400 libras a la semana

it picked up the best musical award ganó or se llevó el premio al mejor musical

he managed to pick up a few points in the later events he picked up a reputation as a fierce opponent of gambling Labour picked up crucial extra votes from Tory defectors

to pick up speed acelerar; coger velocidad; tomar velocidad; (LAm)

Brian started the engine and pulled away slowly, but picked up speed once he entered Oakwood Drive the car pulled slowly away, then gradually picked up speed until it was out of sight the train picked up speed almost straight away

6 (sexually) ligarse a (informal)

he picked up a girl at the disco

are you trying to pick me up? ¿estás intentando ligar conmigo?

he had picked her up at a nightclub on Kallari Street, where she worked as a singer Clive had picked up some young man in the public lavatories

7 (Rad) (TV) [+station, channel] captar; coger; (Téc) [+signal] captar; registrar

the dog picked up the scent he sniffed the air, trying to pick up their scent it was easier to pick up Radio Luxembourg than the Light Programme

we can pick up Italian television podemos captar or coger la televisión italiana

Carl's ears picked up a strange, muted sound her ear was so finely tuned she could pick up a cough ten miles off their planes had been picked up on the radar we picked up a distress signal from the yacht the machine picks up minute changes in body temperature a receiver picks up the signals from a number of satellites German police discovered the problem when it was picked up by motorway cameras US radar tracking facilities can pick up the precise location of the launch

8 (notice, detect)

he picked up ten misprints encontró diez erratas

she picked up every mistake no se le escapó ni un error

I had no difficulty picking up the signals he was sending me no tuve problemas para captar las indirectas que me estaba mandando

she should be picking up inconsistencies as they occur staff these days are experienced in picking up early signals from pupils Consumers in Europe are slow to pick up trends in the use of information technology young people are picking up ideas about good drugs and bad drugs

scent

9 (resume) [+conversation, narrative] continuar; [+relationship] reanudar

our reporter in Houston picks up the story we picked up the conversation from where we had left it after 10 years in jail he picked up his relationship with Laura to pick up the [thread] of a story/an argument the plot is complicated, but irrelevant: you could pick up the thread at any point in the film he asked her to repeat an early part of the story so that he could pick up the thread again to pick up the [threads] of one's life it was a terrible blow but now maybe she can pick up the threads of her life with the crisis behind her, she began to pick up the threads of her life Abramov continued, picking up the threads of his previous observations it will obviously take you a little time to pick up the threads of your old job

thread

10 (focus on)

I'd like to pick up the point David made quisiera volver al punto que planteó David; the papers picked up the story los periódicos publicaron la historia

will the Toronto papers pick it up? I see several points I'd like to pick up can I just pick up that gentleman's point? the President picked up the theme in his next speech

11 (reprimand) reñir; reprender

she picked him up for using bad language le riñó or le reprendió por decir palabrotas

12 (correct)

to pick sb up [on] sth

he picked me up on my grammar me señaló diversas faltas de gramática

if I may pick you up on that point si me permites corregirte en ese punto

don't pick me up on words may I just pick him up on what he said about women

13 (rescue) recoger; rescatar

the helicopter picked up ten survivors most of the survivors were picked up by a passing fishing boat

14 (arrest) detener

they picked him up for questioning Rawlings had been picked up by police at his office the police picked him up within the hour we've got all the evidence we need - let's pick him up I don't want you to be picked up for vagrancy

15 (revive) [+person] reanimar

this tonic will soon pick you up este tónico te reanimará pronto

a dose of tonic will help to pick you up can you suggest something to pick me up? some essential oils relax you; others pick you up

16 (US) (tidy) [+room, house] recoger

verb:intransitive:plus_adverb

1 (improve) [+conditions, weather, sales] mejorar; [+market, economy] reponerse; [+business, trade] ir mejor; [+prices] volver a subir

the game picked up in the second half el partido mejoró en el segundo tiempo

things will pick up, you'll see they say the weather might pick up by the end of the week the economy is beginning to pick up the market will pick up soon I'll hang on to them until the market picks up he did not expect the market to pick up until next year analysts say the housing market could pick up soon the owner of the restaurant is hoping business will pick up Chinese officials hope that trade will pick up when the two countries switch to hard currency car sales should pick up when the recession is over prices may begin to pick up again soon consumer spending is at last picking up you'll have to wait until house prices pick up again if sales don't pick up by next February, they'll have to close down we've seen demand pick up twice in the last two years I think we will see employment begin to pick up soon industrial production is beginning to pick up support for him picked up last week as a result of some skilful media interviews

2 (increase) [+wind] levantarse

the wind suddenly picked up when he left, the frenetic pace of her life picked up again

3 (continue)

to pick up where one left off [+activity, conversation, relationship] continuar donde se había dejado

so you came back expecting to pick up where we left off, did you?

4 (notice, react to)

to pick up [on] sth

I was getting nervous and he picked up on that me estaba poniendo nervioso y él lo captó or se dio cuenta

the press did not pick up on it la prensa no reaccionó ante la noticia

let me pick up on one thing here the company was slow to pick up on trends children quickly pick up on problems in their parents' relationship I wasn't to know they'd pick up on something I mentioned casually I'm surprised you didn't pick up on that problems that people are facing, which MPs can then pick up on and take to the House of Commons

5 (become involved with)

to pick up with sb juntarse con algn

she's picked up with a bad crowd se ha juntado con una gente no muy recomendable

mother used to be wild with me the way I'd pick up with just anyone

6 (tidy up)

to pick up after sb ir recogiendo detrás de algn

he expects me to pick up after him espera que vaya recogiendo detrás suyo