Would you rather “keep up” with the crowd or “keep out” of trouble? The phrasal verbs keep up and keep out both derive from the Old English verb keep, meaning “to hold, guard, preserve, or maintain.” Over time, English combined keep with different particles to create new meanings. Keep up developed the sense of continuing at the same pace, maintaining a standard, or not falling behind, while keep out came to mean staying outside a place or preventing someone or something from entering. Although they share the same verb, the particles up and out completely change their meanings. Today, both are common in everyday English, especially in conversations, signs, schools, workplaces, and the media. Here are some examples for you:
Keep up (continue; not fall behind)
- I can’t keep up with your walking pace.
- She studies hard to keep up with her classmates.
- It’s difficult to keep up with the latest technology.
- Keep up the good work!
- He exercises regularly to keep up his fitness.
Keep out (stay outside; prevent entry)
- Please keep out of the construction area.
- We tried to keep out the cold.
- The sign says, “Keep Out!“
- She wore boots to keep out the rain.
- Parents should keep children out of dangerous situations.
In Turkish, keep up is usually translated as ayak uydurmak, geri kalmamak, devam ettirmek, or korumak, depending on the context. Keep out commonly means uzak durmak, içeri girmemek, uzak tutmak, engellemek, or içeri sokmamak. Unlike English, Turkish expresses these meanings with different verbs rather than by changing the particle.
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Ona ayak uyduramadım. | I couldn’t keep up with him. |
| Teknolojiyi takip etmek zor. | It’s difficult to keep up with technology. |
| Böyle devam et! | Keep up the good work! |
| İnşaat alanına girmeyin. | Keep out of the construction area. |
| Soğuğu dışarıda tutmaya çalıştık. | We tried to keep out the cold. |
| Çocukları tehlikeli yerlerden uzak tutun. | Keep children out of dangerous places. |
Note. VoKaPedia also has a dedicated podcast section where you can find a variety of engaging episodes. I’d definitely recommend exploring it—you might discover something new and inspiring to listen to. Go to VoKaPedia Podcasts