onto
gb/ˈɔntu/ us/ˈɔntu/
A2
Inglés
~ 1600
Acepciones
0 acepciones
preposition
A2
relation
1
Moving to be on something
Shows movement to a place on top of something.
Patrón de uso:
to move [someone/something] onto [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'onto' with 'on'. 'Onto' is used for movement; 'on' is for position.
Sinónimos
upon (More formal or literary, often interchangeable in physical contexts.)
Antónimos
off (Indicates movement away from a surface, opposite of onto.)
Colocaciones
climb onto
|jump onto
|get onto
|fall onto
|load onto
Temas
daily life
|movement
|space
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She climbed onto the roof to fix the antenna.
- The cat jumped onto the table.
- He loaded the boxes onto the truck.
- The glass fell onto the floor and shattered.
- We stepped onto the stage as the lights came up.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The dog jumped onto the bed.
- He put his bag onto the chair.
- She went onto the bus.
- I climbed onto the wall.
- They carried the box onto the ship.
preposition
B1
relation
2
Moving to next subject/activity
Shows going from one thing to another, often in time or topic.
Patrón de uso:
move/change onto [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse 'onto' with 'into' when talking about involvement; 'onto' suggests progression or change, not entry inside something.
Sinónimos
toward (Indicates direction toward something but less specific about change of topic or activity.)
Antónimos
away from (Indicates moving in the opposite direction from a subject or activity.)
Colocaciones
move onto
|go onto
|proceed onto
Temas
conversation
|time
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- After discussing the budget, we moved onto the next item.
- Let’s go onto the main course now.
- He quickly went onto another topic.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- We moved onto the next lesson.
- She went onto a new job.
- Now we go onto the next game.
adjective
informal
B2
property
3
Aware of situation/idea
Knowing what is really happening or what someone is doing.
Error frecuente:
Learners may mistakenly use 'on to' instead of 'onto' in this idiomatic use; 'onto' is correct when meaning aware of or having discovered something.
Sinónimos
aware (General word for knowing about something; 'onto' implies active awareness or suspicion.)
Antónimos
unaware (Not knowing about something happening.)
Colocaciones
be onto someone
|be onto something
Temas
knowledge
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The police are onto him and will catch him soon.
- I think you’re onto something with that idea.
- She’s onto their plan to cheat.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The teacher is onto him for cheating.
- You are onto a good idea.
- They are onto the thief.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
onto
AFI
GB/ˈɔntu/
US/ˈɔntu/
Sílabas y acento
onto (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (onto)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: onto
- Comparative: ontoer
- Superlative: ontoest
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
be onto someone
1/bˈi ˈɔntu sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
informal
Aware of someone's actions
To know what someone is doing, especially if they are doing something bad.
Ejemplos
- The police are onto the gang’s activities.
- She’s onto her kids skipping school.
be onto something
1/bˈi ˈɔntu sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Discovering an important idea
To have an idea or plan that could be very good or successful.
Ejemplos
- I think we’re onto something with this new recipe.
- She’s onto a great business opportunity.