A1 Idiom Neutral 1 Min. Lesezeit

Write down.

Record in writing.

Jetzt üben

Phrase in 30 Seconds

To write something on paper or a digital device so you do not forget it later.

  • Means: Recording information in a permanent or semi-permanent format.
  • Used in: Meetings, grocery shopping, and remembering phone numbers.
  • Don't confuse: 'Write down' (record) with 'Write up' (create a formal report).
Brain + Pen + Paper = Remembered information

Erklärung auf deinem Niveau:

Use 'write down' when you need to remember something. You put words on paper so you do not forget them later. It is very useful for shopping lists or phone numbers.
This phrase is a phrasal verb. It means to record information in a written format. You can use it when someone gives you an address or a task to do. It helps you keep your life organized and ensures you don't lose important details.
In professional and personal contexts, 'write down' is the standard way to describe the act of transcribing information. It is a separable phrasal verb, meaning you can place the object between the verb and the particle. It is essential for effective communication and memory management in daily life.
The phrase 'write down' serves as a fundamental tool for information retention. It is frequently employed in corporate environments to document action items or meeting minutes. Understanding its separable nature is crucial for advanced fluency, as it allows for more natural sentence structures when using object pronouns.
As a highly functional phrasal verb, 'write down' bridges the gap between cognitive processing and externalized memory. Its usage is pervasive across registers, from casual reminders to formal documentation. The syntactic flexibility of this construction—specifically its status as a separable transitive phrasal verb—demonstrates the nuanced mechanics of English syntax that learners must master to achieve native-like proficiency.
The phrasal verb 'write down' exemplifies the intersection of lexical semantics and syntactic structure in English. It functions as a cognitive offloading mechanism, externalizing volatile memory into a stable, persistent medium. From a linguistic perspective, its separability is a hallmark of Germanic-origin phrasal verbs, requiring the learner to internalize the placement of pronominal objects. Its ubiquity in English discourse underscores a cultural preoccupation with empirical record-keeping and the mitigation of cognitive fallibility.

Bedeutung

To write something on paper so you don't forget it.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

Americans love 'To-Do' lists. Writing things down is seen as a key to productivity. In Japan, carrying a small notebook (techo) is very common for writing down daily tasks.

💡

Pronoun placement

Always put 'it' or 'them' between 'write' and 'down'.

💡

Pronoun placement

Always put 'it' or 'them' between 'write' and 'down'.

Teste dich selbst

Complete the sentence.

I will ____ the phone number so I don't lose it.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: write down

We use 'write down' to record information for memory.

🎉 Ergebnis: /1

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Aufgabensammlung

2 Aufgaben
Wähle die richtige Antwort Fill Blank

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:
Complete the sentence. Fill Blank A1

I will ____ the phone number so I don't lose it.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: write down

We use 'write down' to record information for memory.

🎉 Ergebnis: /2

Häufig gestellte Fragen

1 Fragen

Yes, it is common to say 'I'll write that down' even if you are typing on a phone.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔄

Jot down

synonym

Write quickly

🔄

Note down

synonym

Record

Wo du es verwendest

🍎

Grocery Shopping

Friend: Do we need milk?

You: Yes, I'll write it down on the list.

informal
💼

Office Meeting

Boss: The deadline is Friday.

You: Okay, I'm writing that down.

neutral

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Think of a pen moving DOWN onto a page to keep information safe.

Visuelle Assoziation

Imagine a giant notebook where you are writing a glowing light bulb (an idea) so it doesn't float away.

Rhyme

Don't be a clown, write it down!

Story

Sarah was at a party. She met a cool person. She didn't want to forget their name. She quickly found a napkin and wrote it down. Now she has a new friend!

In Other Languages

Many languages use a similar structure, like 'anotar' in Spanish or 'aufschreiben' in German.

Word Web

NoteRecordJotDocumentTranscribeListRemember

Herausforderung

For one day, write down every task you need to do on a piece of paper.

Review this phrase in 1 day, 3 days, and 1 week.

Aussprache

Betonung Stress on 'Write'.

The 'w' is silent.

Formalitätsspektrum

Formell
Please document the findings in writing.

Please document the findings in writing. (Workplace)

Neutral
Please write down the findings.

Please write down the findings. (Workplace)

Informell
Jot those down for me.

Jot those down for me. (Workplace)

Umgangssprache
Put that on paper, fam.

Put that on paper, fam. (Workplace)

Derived from Old English 'writan' (to scratch/draw) and 'dune' (down).

Middle English:

Wusstest du?

The word 'write' originally meant to scratch runes into wood or stone.

Kulturelle Hinweise

Americans love 'To-Do' lists. Writing things down is seen as a key to productivity.

“I have a list of things to write down today.”

In Japan, carrying a small notebook (techo) is very common for writing down daily tasks.

“He always has his notebook to write down ideas.”

Gesprächseinstiege

“

Do you usually write down your tasks?

Häufige Fehler

✗

Write down it.

✓

Write it down.

wrong conjugation
When using a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Anotar

Spanish often uses a single verb instead of a phrasal verb.

French Very Similar

Noter

French does not use a particle like 'down'.

German Very Similar

Aufschreiben

The particle comes at the end of the sentence in German.

Japanese moderate

書き留める (Kakito-meru)

It implies keeping the information for later use.

Arabic moderate

تدوين (Tadween)

It is often used for more formal record-keeping.

Spotted in the Real World

🎬

(2005)

“I'm going to write that down.”

He is trying to look professional.

Leicht verwechselbar

Write down. vs. Write up

Learners think it means the same as write down.

Write down = record; Write up = create a formal report.

Häufig gestellte Fragen (1)

Yes, it is common to say 'I'll write that down' even if you are typing on a phone.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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