Getting ready · Home and routines

freshen up

wash and refresh

To wash or tidy yourself so you feel cleaner and more comfortable.

B1 common mostly spoken

phrasal verb

freshen up

This vs that

wash or tidy myself

I'll freshen up before dinner.

wash specifically under the shower

I'll have a shower before dinner.

Hear it in real life

Are you ready to leave?

Almost. I just need to freshen up.

Play the conversation

I'll just freshen up before we go out for dinner.

Which sounds natural?

Psst — which one would you actually say?

The mistake everyone makes

Not: I need to freshen me up before dinner.

Say: I need to freshen up before dinner.

Use the reflexive form only when you name the person: freshen yourself up.

Say it together

Whole chunks natives use with it.

freshen up before ___

I'll freshen up before the guests arrive.

She freshened up before heading back to work.

Home and routines · Getting ready: the words around “freshen up”.

More connectionsMore getting ready words5