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Glite Dictionary
to put hand up

to put hand up

4 2.2
Raise your hand to show you want to speak or answer
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
translation icon : levantar la mano
  • Although you wouldn't think he'd put his hand up so high as those top three stains.

Examples

  • I put my hand up in a "stop" position and it works.

    Blog text (3)

  • Put your hand up!

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Nonetheless, in meditation, I thought I had found what might be it, so I put my hand up.

    Blog text (29)

  • I would never have had that shot if I hadn't put my hand up and asked for it.

    Blog text (24)

  • I instantly put my hands up, then my visions of the workers working outside of my ice block flashed in my mind.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Put your hand up!

    Fiction book (1994)

  • When he put his hand up in the stop gesture, his hand curved backward from the wrist, and his fingers bent backward from the palm.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Had her life depended on it, she couldn't have moved her lips away from his warm, sweet mouth, but when she put her hand up in half-hearted protest, she came in contact with his shoulder.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • When the teacher asked who wanted to answer the question, I quickly put my hand up.

  • In the meeting, if you have something to contribute, please put your hand up to speak.

Synonyms

to lift up
vsto put hand up
107 1.1

To raise someone or something to a higher place

is a specific gesture to signal willingness to speak or answer
to raise one's hand
vsto put hand up
9 1.6

Lift your hand to show you want to speak or ask a question

is used to show willingness to speak or answer often in classrooms
to raise up
vsto put hand up
7 2.1

To lift something or someone to a higher place

is a deliberate signal used to show desire to speak or answer
to put one's hand up
vsto put hand up
  • UK
1 2.6

Raise your hand to show you want to take part

signals willingness especially to speak or answer in group settings

How Willing

to volunteer
391 2.0
to put hand up
  • UK
4 2.2
to signal
141 3.0

Surface Forms

put hand up infinitive
put hand up past
put hand up past participle
putting hand up present participle
puts hand up third person singular

Morphology

put + hand + up

The meaning 'to raise one's hand' is directly derivable from combining 'put' (place) + 'hand' (the body part) + 'up' (to a higher position); the verb-object-particle pattern clearly signals raising. This is a common, literal classroom gesture with similar constructions across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb put hand up comes from the classroom image of a student lifting their hand up to show they want to speak or answer a question. So the phrase means 'to raise your hand to show you want to speak or take part'.