Cool MateHide vs Take cover
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Hide
Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
Take cover
Top 2,000 (common)
Most common: Hide
| Hide | Take cover | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/haɪd/","/haɪdz/","/hɪd/","/ˈhɪdn/","/ˈhaɪdɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/haɪd/","/haɪdz/","/hɪd/","/ˈhɪdn/","/ˈhaɪdɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //teɪk ˈkʌvə//🇺🇸 //teɪk ˈkʌvɚ// |
| Meaning | To put something in a place where it cannot be seen. | to find a safe place to protect yourself |
| Example | She decided to hide behind the curtain during the game. | When the thunderstorm hit, we had to __take cover__ under a porch. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | away, quickly, easily, prefer to, want to, among, behind, beneath, carefully hidden, completely hidden, well hidden, away, quickly, easily, prefer to, want to, among, behind, beneath, carefully hidden, completely hidden, well hidden, away, quickly, easily, prefer to, want to, among, behind, beneath, carefully hidden, completely hidden, well hidden, well, completely, barely, be able to, be unable to, try to, from, keep something hidden, previously hidden, remain hidden | take cover immediately, take cover from the rain, take cover during the storm |
| Antonyms | reveal, show, display | expose, reveal |
| Common mistakes | 'Hide' is often confused with 'secrete' which has a different meaning., Learners may forget to use an object, e.g., saying 'I hide' instead of 'I hide the book.', Misuse of tenses, e.g., saying 'I hided the keys' instead of 'I hid the keys.' | Confused with 'take' as a standalone verb, Using 'cover' alone without 'take', Misunderstanding the context; thinking it's about taking something |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in everyday conversation. Avoid in formal writing. Can imply physical hiding or keeping information secret. | Commonly used during emergencies. It's important to use in serious contexts, but can be casual in playful situations. |
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Frequently asked questions: Hide vs Take cover
What's the difference between Hide and Take cover?
Hide: To put something in a place where it cannot be seen. Take cover: to find a safe place to protect yourself
Which is more common: Hide and Take cover?
Hide is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Hide: She decided to hide behind the curtain during the game. Take cover: When the thunderstorm hit, we had to __take cover__ under a porch.
Can I use Hide and Take cover interchangeably?
Not always. Hide and Take cover are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.