belong to
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To be the property of: To be owned by someone or something.
- To be a member of: To be part of a group, organization, or category.
- To be connected or related to: To be an appropriate or natural part of something; to be an adjunct.
Usage
- Use "belong to" to indicate ownership or possession.
- Use "belong to" to indicate membership in a group or class.
- Use "belong to" to indicate a logical or natural connection to a place, set, or time.
- The verb "belong" is often followed by the preposition "to" when specifying the owner, group, or category.
Examples
- Indicating Ownership:
- That beautiful house belongs to my grandparents.
- Does this pen belong to you?
- Indicating Membership:
- She belongs to a local book club.
- These rare animals belong to an endangered species.
- Indicating Connection/Relation:
- This page doesn't belong to this chapter.
- That idea belongs to a different era.
Advanced Usage
- "belong to" in passive constructions: While less common, the sense can be expressed passively.
- The responsibility for this project is believed to belong to the new manager.
- Negation with "belong to": Often used to state that something is out of place or not part of a set.
- These modern buildings don't belong to the historic district.
Variants and Related Words
- Belong (verb): Can be used without "to" when the context is clear, often with adverbs like "here" or "there".
- I feel like I don't belong here.
- Where do these plates belong?
- Belonging (noun): The feeling of being comfortable and happy in a situation or with a group.
- A sense of belonging is important for mental health.
Synonyms
- Pertain to: Be appropriate, related, or applicable to.
- Be owned by: Be the property of.
- Be a member of: Be part of a group.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Belong with: Suggests that things or people should be together because they form a natural pair or group.
- This document belongs with the other contracts in the file.
- He belongs with people who understand his art.
Related Idioms
- To belong to the ages: To be of such great historical importance that it will be remembered forever.
- His speech was so powerful, it belongs to the ages.
- (Not) to belong in the same sentence/breath: Used to emphasize that two things are so different in quality that they should not be compared.
- His amateur work doesn't belong in the same sentence as the master's paintings.
Verb
- be a part or adjunct
- the uniform looks like it belonged to a museum collection
- These pages don't belong