Meaning trap
get down
make someone sad
To make someone feel sad, disappointed, or less happy.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To make someone feel sad, disappointed, or less happy.
Another meaning of 'get down' is 'write down'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Rainy weather always gets me down.
Sometimes, too much stress at work can really get people down and affect their motivation.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: Don't let it get down you.
Say: Don't let it get you down.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'get you down'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Get someone down' is the natural way to say something is depressing you; the formal version is a diary entry.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
get + person + down
- the weather
- me down
- you down
- all the bad news
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- get down (write down) — Another meaning of 'get down' is 'write down'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.