Cool MateHide vs Let's take cover
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Hide
Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
Let's take cover
Top 3,000 (common)
Most common: Hide
| Hide | Let's take cover | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/haɪd/","/haɪdz/","/hɪd/","/ˈhɪdn/","/ˈhaɪdɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/haɪd/","/haɪdz/","/hɪd/","/ˈhɪdn/","/ˈhaɪdɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //lɛts teɪk ˈkʌvə//🇺🇸 //lɛts teɪk ˈkʌvər// |
| Meaning | To put something in a place where it cannot be seen. | To find a place to be safe from danger. |
| Example | She decided to hide behind the curtain during the game. | When the storm hit, we decided, 'Let's take cover!' as the wind howled. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 3,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | away, quickly, easily, prefer to, want to, among, behind, beneath, carefully hidden, completely hidden, well hidden, away, quickly, easily, prefer to, want to, among, behind, beneath, carefully hidden, completely hidden, well hidden, away, quickly, easily, prefer to, want to, among, behind, beneath, carefully hidden, completely hidden, well hidden, well, completely, barely, be able to, be unable to, try to, from, keep something hidden, previously hidden, remain hidden | take cover quickly, let's take cover now, suggest to take cover, order to take cover, need to take cover |
| Antonyms | reveal, show, display | - |
| Common mistakes | 'Hide' is often confused with 'secrete' which has a different meaning., Learners may forget to use an object, e.g., saying 'I hide' instead of 'I hide the book.', Misuse of tenses, e.g., saying 'I hided the keys' instead of 'I hid the keys.' | Confused with 'take over'., Used in inappropriate contexts, like saying it when there's no danger., Misunderstood as a literal action without recognizing the figurative safety implication. |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in everyday conversation. Avoid in formal writing. Can imply physical hiding or keeping information secret. | Commonly used in situations of danger, like during a storm or attack. It's appropriate in urgent contexts but might not fit casual conversations. |
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Frequently asked questions: Hide vs Let's take cover
What's the difference between Hide and Let's take cover?
Hide: To put something in a place where it cannot be seen. Let's take cover: To find a place to be safe from danger.
Which is more common: Hide and Let's take cover?
Hide is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Hide: She decided to hide behind the curtain during the game. Let's take cover: When the storm hit, we decided, 'Let's take cover!' as the wind howled.
Can I use Hide and Let's take cover interchangeably?
Not always. Hide and Let's take cover are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.