Phrasal verb
Bring up
What does bring up mean?
Bring up has three distinct meanings in everyday English. First, it means to introduce a topic or start discussing an issue in conversation. Second, it means to care for, feed, and educate a child until adulthood. Third, in technology contexts, it means to make a document, image, or website appear on a screen.
Key points
- Identify the meaning of bring up through context: conversation, child rearing, or digital screens.
- Keep pronoun objects in the middle: bring it up.
- Use brought up for past statements, but use bring up after did or didn't.
Can you use "Bring up" yourself?
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Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
Watch & learn
Bring up
Distinguish the three common meanings of bring up, use correct separable word order with nouns and pronouns, and form accurate past statements, questions, and negatives in everyday situations.
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Theo: The is too . I bring up it my .
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Examples
I decided to bring up the kitchen cleaning schedule during breakfast.
Why it works: The speaker starts talking about a household topic.
2 more examples
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His older sister brought him up after their parents passed away.
She cared for him throughout his childhood.
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Please bring up the map so we can find the train station.
The speaker asks to display an image on a phone or screen.
Read the full guide
Start a conversation on a new subject
When you want to talk about an idea, a question, or a problem, you bring up that subject. This phrasal verb means you introduce a topic into a conversation for the first time. Bringing something up does not mean you have solved the issue or finished the discussion. It simply places the topic on the table so other people can hear your thought and respond. You can bring up positive news, like a promotion, or difficult topics, like shared household expenses or schedule changes.
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I will bring up the travel expenses at the start of our team meeting.
Why it works: The speaker plans to mention the topic so colleagues can discuss it.
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Nobody wanted to bring up the delayed delivery until the manager asked.
Why it works: The team avoided mentioning the problem until someone asked directly.
Your turn
What does a speaker do when they bring up an issue in a meeting?
Answer: They introduce the topic so everyone can begin talking about it.
Show the answer
Answer: They introduce the topic so everyone can begin talking about it.
Bringing up a subject means mentioning it to start a conversation, not finishing or solving it immediately.
Describe long-term care for a child
When adults care for a child from infancy until adulthood, they bring that child up. This action includes feeding, housing, guiding, and educating the young person over many years. It is very different from babysitting for one evening or teaching a single lesson at school. Notice the important difference between bring up and grow up: adults bring up children, while children grow up. A common pattern in everyday English is the passive form 'was brought up' or 'were brought up'. You use 'by' to name the carer and 'in' to name the city or region.
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Her grandparents brought her up on a small family farm.
Why it works: Her grandparents provided daily care and guidance throughout her childhood.
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He was brought up by his uncle in Chicago before moving to Seattle.
Why it works: The uncle took responsibility for raising him during his youth.
This also comes up in Run into and Let off.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly describes the carer's long-term action?
Answer: The uncle brought up the children after their parents moved away.
Show the answer
Answer: The uncle brought up the children after their parents moved away.
Adults bring up children over many years; adults do not 'grow up' children, and short babysitting is not bringing someone up.
Display a page or document on a screen
In digital environments, bring up means causing an item to appear on a phone, tablet, computer, or television screen. You might bring up a website, an image, a settings menu, or a PDF document. You can easily tell this meaning from the conversation meaning by looking at the physical action. If someone clicks a mouse, taps a touchscreen, or asks to see a digital file, they mean visual display on a monitor rather than speaking about an issue.
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Let me bring up the bus schedule on my phone so we can check the time.
Why it works: The speaker opens the digital timetable on the phone screen.
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Can you bring up the photo you took during the conference?
Why it works: The request asks the listener to display the picture on screen.
Your turn
In which situation does bring up mean display something on a screen?
Answer: Elena brought up the contract file on her laptop during the call.
Show the answer
Answer: Elena brought up the contract file on her laptop during the call.
Opening a contract file on a laptop screen demonstrates the digital display meaning of bring up.
Place nouns and pronouns in the right position
An object is the person or thing affected by the action. Bring up is a separable phrasal verb, which means the object can change positions depending on what kind of word you use. When the object is a noun, such as 'the problem' or 'the document', you can place it after up or between bring and up. Both 'bring up the problem' and 'bring the problem up' are natural. However, when the object is a pronoun such as 'it', 'them', or 'her', you must place it in the middle. You say 'bring it up', never 'bring up it'.
| Meaning | Typical Object | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Start talking about a topic | the schedule, the bill, it | I will bring the schedule up tomorrow. |
| Care for a child to adulthood | a child, her, two nieces | Her aunt brought her up in Boston. |
| Display on a screen | a file, the photo, it | Tap here to bring the photo up. |
| Verb form | Bring |
|---|---|
| base | bring |
| third-person singular | brings |
| present participle | bringing |
| simple past | brought |
| past participle | brought |
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You should bring the repair bill up before we pay the invoice.
Why it works: A noun object can sit between bring and up.
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If that topic matters to you, bring it up at tomorrow's meeting.
Why it works: A pronoun object must sit between bring and up.
Your turn
Which sentence uses correct word order with a pronoun object?
Answer: If you notice an error in the report, please bring it up.
Show the answer
Answer: If you notice an error in the report, please bring it up.
Pronoun objects must sit between bring and up. 'Bring up it' is an incorrect word order.
Form past statements, questions, and negatives
The verb bring is irregular, so its past form is brought. In a positive past statement, you say 'brought up'. Because English grammar uses auxiliary verbs for questions and negatives, the rule changes when you add 'did' or 'didn't'. The auxiliary verb already carries the past tense, so bring up returns to its base form. You ask 'Did you bring it up?' rather than 'Did you brought it up?'. In a negative sentence, you say 'I didn't bring it up'. Remember this pattern: use brought up for positive statements, but use bring up after did and didn't.
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Our manager brought up the new vacation rules yesterday morning.
Why it works: Positive past statement using the irregular form brought up.
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Did you bring up the missing keys with your landlord?
Why it works: Question with did uses the base form bring up.
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We did not bring up the broken air conditioner because the office was closed.
Why it works: Negative past statement with did not uses the base form bring up.
Your turn
Which sentence forms a negative past statement accurately?
Answer: She did not bring up the contract changes during the call.
Show the answer
Answer: She did not bring up the contract changes during the call.
After did not, use the base form bring up. Brought up and bringed up are incorrect here.
Raise a sensitive issue politely
Starting a conversation about an annoying habit or an unpaid bill can feel uncomfortable. In conversational English, 'Can I bring something up?' is an ideal phrase to use. It prepares the other person for a serious topic without sounding angry. You can also use the pattern 'bring it up with someone' to name who you need to speak with. Bring up is standard conversational English and is completely acceptable in everyday workplace meetings. In formal written reports, phrases like 'mention' or 'raise an issue' are sometimes preferred, but bring up is never rude. Related idioms include /idioms/have-a-word/ when you want a private chat, /idioms/the-elephant-in-the-room/ for a problem people avoid, and /idioms/touch-a-nerve/ when a topic causes an emotional reaction.
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Can I bring something up regarding our shared utility expenses?
Why it works: A polite way to ask for a conversation before introducing a sensitive topic.
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I plan to bring the noise problem up with our neighbor tonight.
Why it works: Using 'bring it up with someone' to identify the person who needs to hear the issue.
Your turn
Why is 'Can I bring something up?' a helpful phrase in a difficult situation?
Answer: It politely asks permission to introduce a sensitive topic without sounding aggressive.
Show the answer
Answer: It politely asks permission to introduce a sensitive topic without sounding aggressive.
Asking 'Can I bring something up?' gives the listener a polite signal that a serious topic is coming.
Identify and correct three frequent errors
Learners usually encounter three specific stumbling blocks with bring up. First, putting a pronoun at the end of the phrasal verb is incorrect: say 'bring it up' rather than 'bring up it'. Second, bring is irregular, so forming the past tense with an -ed ending produces 'bringed up', which does not exist in English; always say 'brought up'. Third, do not confuse bring up with grow up. Children grow up as they get older, but adults bring them up through daily food, shelter, and guidance. Never say that parents 'grew up' their children.
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I wrote down the question so I could bring it up during the briefing.
Why it works: The pronoun 'it' sits correctly between bring and up.
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My grandparents brought up five children while running a grocery store.
Why it works: The adults brought up the children; the children grew up in the store.
Your turn
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Answer: She brought up the budget problem during yesterday's meeting.
Show the answer
Answer: She brought up the budget problem during yesterday's meeting.
Brought up is the correct irregular past form. Bringed up does not exist, and grow up cannot take an object.
Catch linked sounds and weak words
In natural spoken English, words link together across boundaries. When a speaker says 'bring up', the final consonant sound /ŋ/ glides directly into the short vowel /ʌ/, without adding a separate /g/ sound. When the pronoun 'it' sits in the middle, 'bring it up' links twice: the /ŋ/ connects to /ɪ/, and the letter 't' often sounds like a quick tap in American English or connects smoothly to /ʌ/ in British English. Because 'it' is an unstressed pronoun, learners often miss hearing it entirely. Listen carefully for the three distinct beats in 'bring it up' versus the two beats in 'bring up'. In the past form 'brought up', the /t/ sound connects into /ʌ/ as 'brough-tup'.
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Did you bring it up?
Why it works: Spoken naturally, 'bring-it-up' sounds like one linked unit with three quick beats.
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They were brought up here.
Why it works: The /t/ in brought links into the vowel in up, making 'brough-tup'.
Your turn
Why do English learners sometimes miss hearing the word 'it' in 'bring it up'?
Answer: Because 'it' is an unstressed pronoun that connects smoothly between both words.
Show the answer
Answer: Because 'it' is an unstressed pronoun that connects smoothly between both words.
The unstressed pronoun 'it' links closely to 'bring' and 'up', making it blend into the surrounding speech.
Practice recall and rebuild key structures
Testing yourself on form and meaning without multiple-choice clues strengthens your recall. Complete these four mental steps whenever you review bring up. First, identify the meaning from the surrounding context: is someone speaking, parenting, or using a screen? Second, replace a noun object with a pronoun and check your word order: 'bring up the photo' becomes 'bring it up'. Third, shift positive statements into past sentences and check the verb: 'bring up' becomes 'brought up', but 'didn't bring up' keeps the base form. Fourth, create an original sentence based on your real life.
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We wanted to mention the delay, so we decided to bring it up early.
Why it works: Model showing meaning identification and pronoun placement.
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He did not bring up the broken printer until the meeting ended.
Why it works: Model showing negative past form with base verb.
Your turn
How should you rewrite 'They brought up the difficult topic' using a pronoun?
Answer: They brought it up.
Show the answer
Answer: They brought it up.
Replace 'the difficult topic' with 'it' and place the pronoun between 'brought' and 'up'.
Use it naturally
How people really use “bring up”
Neutral Fine almost anywhere, at work or with friends.
Words it often goes with
- bring up a topicYou can bring up a topic when everyone is ready to talk.
- bring up an issueI'd like to bring up an issue before we finish.
- bring up a childIt takes time and care to bring up a child.
- bring up a mapPlease bring up a map on your phone.
- bring up a photoCan you bring up a photo of the building?
What people also say
- “Can you bring it up?” instead of “Can you make it appear on the screen?” Use this when both people know which page or image you mean.
Questions about "Bring up"
What does bring up mean?
Bring up has three common meanings in daily English. Most often, it means to mention or start talking about a subject in conversation. It also means to care for and guide a child until adulthood. In modern digital contexts, it means to make a document, image, or webpage appear on a screen.
She wanted to bring up the budget problem at lunch.
His parents brought up three children in London.
Click here to bring up your account balance.
Should I say bring it up or bring up it?
You must say bring it up. When the object of bring up is a pronoun such as it, them, him, or her, English grammar requires placing the pronoun between the verb and the particle. Placing a pronoun after up, as in bring up it, is considered an error in everyday English.
That was a good suggestion, so I will bring it up.
If the issue returns, we can bring it up again.
What is the past tense of bring up?
The past tense of bring up is brought up. Bring is an irregular verb, so it never takes an -ed ending. Never say bringed up. In questions and negative sentences with did or didn't, return to the base form bring, as in 'Did you bring it up?' or 'I didn't bring it up.'
Tom brought up the parking issue yesterday.
Did anyone bring up the new office policy?
What is the difference between bring up and grow up?
Bring up describes what adults or guardians do to raise and nurture a child over many years. Grow up describes the natural biological and social development of the child. Adults bring children up; children grow up. For this reason, a person says 'I grew up in Boston' or 'My aunt brought me up in Boston.'
She grew up on a farm with four siblings.
Her grandmother brought her up after her parents moved.
Is it rude to say 'Can I bring something up?'?
No, it is not rude at all. It is a polite, natural way to introduce a sensitive topic or a new question without interrupting aggressively. It signals respect because you ask permission before directing everyone's attention to a shared problem.
Can I bring something up before we finish our call?
Excuse me, could I bring up a quick safety question?
How do I know whether bring up means mention something or show it on a screen?
Look at the surrounding physical action and tools. If someone is speaking about ideas, feelings, or agenda items, bring up means to mention. If someone is holding a phone, clicking a mouse, or pointing at a monitor, bring up means to display that image, file, or page on the screen.
I will bring up the PDF on our projector.
Please bring up that topic during our feedback round.
Before you go
Remember this
Identify the meaning of bring up through context: conversation, child rearing, or digital screens. Keep pronoun objects in the middle: bring it up. Use brought up for past statements, but use bring up after did or didn't.
Stage 2 of 5
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- His older sister brought him up after their parents passed away.
- Please bring up the map so we can find the train station.
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- His older sister brought him up after their parents passed away.
- Please bring up the map so we can find the train station.
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- His older sister brought him up after their parents passed away.
- Please bring up the map so we can find the train station.
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- His older sister brought him up after their parents passed away.
- Please bring up the map so we can find the train station.
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Speak for 30 to 60 seconds from memory. Imagine you are helping a visitor use a museum's touch screen. Describe which picture they want to see, how to display it, and what you do if the picture disappears.
Use: bring up bring it up
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I'm helping a visitor at a museum. She wants to see a picture of the town a hundred years ago. First, I show her how to bring up the list of old photos on the touch screen. Then she chooses a picture of the main street. We can see horses and a little market. Suddenly, the picture disappears because she touches the home button. I tell her it's easy to bring it up again. We choose the same photo, and this time she makes it bigger to see the shops.
Try once more and answer this: Why did the visitor choose that picture?
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