Why do we say “cheer up” when someone is sad, and not simply be happy? The phrasal verb cheer up combines the noun cheer, which originally meant “face” or “expression” in Middle English (from Old French chere), with the adverb up, which intensifies the action and suggests improvement. Over time, it came to mean “to brighten one’s mood” or “to encourage someone.” For example: She tried to cheer him up after the bad news. / Cheer up! Things will get better soon. Using phrasal verbs like this is essential in real spoken English because they make speech sound natural, idiomatic, and closer to how native speakers actually communicate.
In Turkish, “cheer up” can be translated as “neşelenmek“, “moral bulmak“, or when used imperatively, “moralini bozma“, “üzülme“, or “neşelen“. For instance: Hadi neşelen, her şey yoluna girecek. / Üzülme, yarın yeni bir gün. These translations show that the expression does not always match word-for-word but carries the same emotional encouragement.
Some quotes in English using cheer up:
- “Cheer up, the worst is yet to come.” (Philander Chase Johnson)
- “If you can’t cheer yourself up with a smile, who else will?” (Anonymous)
- “Cheer up when the world seems dark; a little hope can light the way.” (Anonymous)
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