onto
gb/ˈɔntu/ us/ˈɔntu/
A2
Inglese
~ 1600
Accezioni
0 accezioni
preposition
A2
relation
1
Moving to be on something
Shows movement to a place on top of something.
Schema d'uso:
to move [someone/something] onto [something]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse 'onto' with 'on'. 'Onto' is used for movement; 'on' is for position.
Sinonimi
upon (More formal or literary, often interchangeable in physical contexts.)
Contrari
off (Indicates movement away from a surface, opposite of onto.)
Collocazioni
climb onto
|jump onto
|get onto
|fall onto
|load onto
Temi
daily life
|movement
|space
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- 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.
Schema d'uso:
move/change onto [something]
Errore comune:
Learners may confuse 'onto' with 'into' when talking about involvement; 'onto' suggests progression or change, not entry inside something.
Sinonimi
toward (Indicates direction toward something but less specific about change of topic or activity.)
Contrari
away from (Indicates moving in the opposite direction from a subject or activity.)
Collocazioni
move onto
|go onto
|proceed onto
Temi
conversation
|time
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- After discussing the budget, we moved onto the next item.
- Let’s go onto the main course now.
- He quickly went onto another topic.
Esempi per chi studia
- 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.
Errore comune:
Learners may mistakenly use 'on to' instead of 'onto' in this idiomatic use; 'onto' is correct when meaning aware of or having discovered something.
Sinonimi
aware (General word for knowing about something; 'onto' implies active awareness or suspicion.)
Contrari
unaware (Not knowing about something happening.)
Collocazioni
be onto someone
|be onto something
Temi
knowledge
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- The teacher is onto him for cheating.
- You are onto a good idea.
- They are onto the thief.
Grammatica
Forma base
onto
IPA
GB/ˈɔntu/
US/ˈɔntu/
Sillabe e accento
onto (1 sillaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (onto)
Forme flesse
Adjective
- Base: onto
- Comparative: ontoer
- Superlative: ontoest
Famiglia di parole
Espressioni
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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- I think we’re onto something with this new recipe.
- She’s onto a great business opportunity.