Engels

onto

gb/ˈɔntu/ us/ˈɔntu/
A2 Engels
~ 1600
Betekenissen
0 betekenissen
preposition A2 relation
1

Moving to be on something

Shows movement to a place on top of something.

Gebruikspatroon: to move [someone/something] onto [something]
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners sometimes confuse 'onto' with 'on'. 'Onto' is used for movement; 'on' is for position.
Synoniemen
upon (More formal or literary, often interchangeable in physical contexts.)
Antoniemen
off (Indicates movement away from a surface, opposite of onto.)
Woordcombinaties
climb onto |jump onto |get onto |fall onto |load onto
Thema's
daily life |movement |space |core_vocabulary
Voorbeelden
  • 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.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
  • 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.

Gebruikspatroon: move/change onto [something]
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners may confuse 'onto' with 'into' when talking about involvement; 'onto' suggests progression or change, not entry inside something.
Synoniemen
toward (Indicates direction toward something but less specific about change of topic or activity.)
Antoniemen
away from (Indicates moving in the opposite direction from a subject or activity.)
Woordcombinaties
move onto |go onto |proceed onto
Thema's
conversation |time |daily life |communication |core_vocabulary
Voorbeelden
  • After discussing the budget, we moved onto the next item.
  • Let’s go onto the main course now.
  • He quickly went onto another topic.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
  • 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.

Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners may mistakenly use 'on to' instead of 'onto' in this idiomatic use; 'onto' is correct when meaning aware of or having discovered something.
Synoniemen
aware (General word for knowing about something; 'onto' implies active awareness or suspicion.)
Antoniemen
unaware (Not knowing about something happening.)
Woordcombinaties
be onto someone |be onto something
Thema's
knowledge |relationships |communication |core_vocabulary
Voorbeelden
  • 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.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
  • The teacher is onto him for cheating.
  • You are onto a good idea.
  • They are onto the thief.
Grammatica
Lemmavorm
onto
IPA
GB/ˈɔntu/
US/ˈɔntu/
Lettergrepen en klemtoon
onto (1 lettergreep)
Stress on 1st syllable (onto)
Woordvormen
Adjective
  • Base: onto
  • Comparative: ontoer
  • Superlative: ontoest
Woordfamilie
Forms
ontoer adjective ontoest adjective
Core family
on preposition A1
Related words
upon preposition B2 onward adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
off preposition A1
Uitdrukkingen

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.

Voorbeelden
  • 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.

Voorbeelden
  • I think we’re onto something with this new recipe.
  • She’s onto a great business opportunity.

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