of
gb/əv/ us/əv/
A1
English
~ 100
Senses
0 senses
preposition
A1
relation
1
shows possession or belonging
Used to show that something belongs to someone or is part of something.
Usage pattern:
[something] of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'of' with 'for' when talking about possession, e.g., saying 'the bag for my brother' instead of 'the bag of my brother'.
Synonyms
belonging to (A direct but longer phrase expressing the same idea of possession.)
Antonyms
not belonging to (Expresses the opposite relationship, indicating no possession or connection.)
Collocations
part of
|member of
|one of
|owner of
|capital of
Themes
grammar
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Examples
- The cover of the book is torn.
- She is a friend of my sister.
- The capital of France is Paris.
- The color of the car is red.
Learner examples
- This is the bag of my brother.
- The name of my school is Greenfield.
- The legs of the table are broken.
- The house of my uncle is big.
preposition
A2
relation
2
shows origin or source
Used to show where something comes from or who made it.
Usage pattern:
[something] of [place/person]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'from' instead of 'of' in formal contexts, e.g., 'wine from France' vs. 'wine of France'.
Synonyms
from ('From' can often replace 'of' when describing origin, though usage patterns differ.)
Antonyms
to (Indicates destination rather than origin.)
Collocations
man of Italy
|wine of Spain
|citizen of
|product of
Themes
geography
|culture
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Examples
- She is a woman of great talent.
- This wine is of French origin.
- He is a citizen of Canada.
Learner examples
- He is a boy of Japan.
- This cake is of my mother.
- I am a student of London.
preposition
A2
relation
3
shows material or composition
Used to say what material something is made from.
Usage pattern:
[something] of [material]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'made of' with 'made from', especially when the material changes form during production.
Synonyms
made from ('Made from' can be used similarly but often implies transformation during production.)
Antonyms
without (Indicates absence rather than presence of material.)
Collocations
made of
|composed of
|full of
Themes
materials
|objects
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Examples
- The ring is made of gold.
- The chair is of solid wood.
- This sculpture is of marble.
Learner examples
- The table is made of wood.
- Her dress is of cotton.
- This box is of paper.
preposition
A1
relation
4
shows part-whole relationship
Used to show that something is part of a group or whole thing.
Usage pattern:
[part] of [whole]
Synonyms
belonging to group (Describes inclusion in a set or whole.)
Antonyms
apart from (Indicates separation from a whole rather than inclusion.)
Collocations
part of a team
|piece of cake
|member of a group
Themes
math
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Examples
- He is a member of the club.
- One of the books was missing.
- This piece of cake is for you.
Learner examples
- I am part of the class.
- She is one of my friends.
- This page is part of the book.
preposition
B1
relation
5
shows cause or reason
Used to show why something happens.
Synonyms
because of ('Because of' is more explicit and often interchangeable.)
Antonyms
despite (Indicates contrast rather than cause.)
Collocations
died of cancer
|sick of flu
Themes
reasoning
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Examples
- He died of old age.
- She is tired of waiting.
- They are sick of the noise.
Learner examples
- He died of hunger.
- She is tired of work.
- I am sick of rain.
Grammar
Dictionary form
of
IPA
GB/əv/
US/əv/
Syllables & stress
of (1 syllable)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: of
- Plural: ofs
Word family
Forms
ofs
noun
Expressions
out of
1/ˈaʊt əv/
fixed phrase
from; due to; lacking
Shows where something comes from, why it happens, or that there is none left.
Examples
- He spoke out of anger.
- We are out of milk.
out of
1/ˈaʊt əv/
fixed phrase
having no more
If you are out of something, you do not have any left.
Examples
- We're out of milk, so I'll stop at the store.
- The pharmacy is out of that medicine right now.
- I'm almost out of space on my phone.
because of
1/bɪkˈʌz əv/
fixed phrase
Shows the reason for something
Used before a noun to show the reason for something.
Examples
- The game was canceled because of rain.
- The flight was delayed because of bad weather.
- She was late because of traffic.
- She missed the meeting because of traffic.
in front of
1/ˈɪn fɹˈʌnt əv/
fixed phrase
ahead in space relative to something else
In a position ahead of something else in space.
Examples
- The car stopped in front of the house.
- She stood in front of me during the concert.
in front of
2/ˈɪn fɹˈʌnt əv/
fixed phrase
ahead; before in space
Shows that something is ahead or before another thing in space.
Examples
- He stood in front of the house.
- There is a car in front of ours.
instead of
1/ɪnstˈɛd əv/
fixed phrase
in place of something else
Used to say one thing replaces another thing.
Examples
- We had tea instead of coffee.
- You should write an email instead of calling her.
- He went by bus instead of train.
- They chose to walk instead of taking the car.
on top of
1/ˈɔn tˈɑp əv/
fixed phrase
Physically above; also in addition to
Physically touching and above something; also used to mean 'in addition to'.
Examples
- He put his bag on top of the table.
- On top of his studies, he also works part-time.
on top of
2/ˈɔn tˈɑp əv/
fixed phrase
above and touching something else
Shows that something is above and touching another thing.
Examples
- The book is on top of the table.
- Snow lay on top of the roof.