The difference between the English phrases ‘GET IN’ and ‘GET ON’ are a source of Endless confusion for English learners. Even native speakers wonder how we decide which one to use! Why do we say get in a car but get on a bus? We also say get on a plane sometimes while at other times we say get in a plane. We might say get on a boat or get in a boat, depending on the situation. These seem like arbitrary choices to most English learners but there are two simple rules that determine which phrase to use, get in or get on.
First, let’s go over the difference between ‘get out’ and ‘get off’ in regards to transportation. If you are going for a ride in a car, you get in the car or you get into the car. Once you arrive at your destination, you get out of the car. If you are traveling on a train, you get on the train and once you’ve arrived, you get off the train. You can also say ‘board the train.’ The same goes for buses and planes.
Let’s continue using the examples of a car and a train. So, why do we say get in a car but get on a bus or train? After all, we are physically getting inside them. Luckily, you do not have to rely on memory alone to help you decide. Here is a simple way to remember.
Simple Way to Remember When To Say Get On Instead of Get In
First, of course, it makes sense to say ‘get on’ a motorcycle or a horse. You ride on top of them and you are not ‘inside’ anything. But for transportation if you can walk inside or onto it and EASILY stand up and walk around, you say get on. If you can’t, you say get in.
Again, if you can walk onto it and easily stand up inside and walk around, you say get on. Otherwise, you say get in.
Get in and get out applies to:
- A car
- A truck
- A taxi
- A van
Get on and get off applies to:
- A bus
- A train
- A large boat
- An airplane
Now, let’s look closer at a truck. You cannot stand up and walk around in the cab of the truck, which is the part of the truck where you drive. But, you can stand up in the back of the truck. So, for the back part of the truck, it would be appropriate to say ‘get on the truck.’ You could also say something like, “Get in the back of the truck.”
What if you are getting into a small boat like a canoe or kayak? You would say get in! You can’t walk around in those for sure. And, if you are going to fly in a very small one or two passenger aircraft, you would also say ‘get in’ because you cannot really stand up or walk in those.
As are typical with phrasal verbs, get in and get into have other idiomatic meanings, in this case, many. Let’s cover some of them briefly.
Get in and get into can refer to something, such as a train or a plane, or someone’s arrival time.
“What time does your plane get in?”
“When will you get into town?”
They can also refer to winning a public election and becoming a member of the legislature, etc.
“She was the youngest woman ever to get into the senate.”
Or, to get in can refer to being admitted to a school, college, or university.
“I can’t believe got into Cornell.”
Also, to get (something) in means to manage or be able to do something.
“I got in a couple of hours of language study.”
To get somebody in can mean to employ someone to do some job on your house or other property.
“I got someone in to fix the fridge, finally.”
To get the crops in or get the harvest in means to collect or gather them.
“We have to get the crops in before the weather turns.”
Finally, to get into something can mean to become interested or passionate about something.
“I got into music at the age of 14.”
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