Learn English – “To be with someone” meaning

phrase-meaningphrase-request

Someone wrote:

Oops!, I realized the student hadn't asked me if I was going to that school (she didn't know me), she just wanted the teacher to keep asking the questions.

I offered this sentence:

Oops! I realized the student wasn't with me and she just asked the teacher if she was going to continue, speak up, while I thought she (is with me and) means if I was going to the Speak Up school! What an embarrassment!

The story is about misunderstanding of "are you going to speak up"

He said "to be with sb" means to understand someone but I think it could also means to adress someone to talk with them, right?
If no, what is the proper phrase for that?

Best Answer

I agree with @TRomano that to address someone, we use "to."

However, there is also a special case when you're also correct and "with + object" is used to mean "to understand."

For example, when a singer at a concert wants to know if the audience is having as good a time as she is, she might say, "Are you with me!"

As TRomano explained, the literal aspect of this is borrowed from "to be a part of a group."

But its figurative aspect can also be applied to mean, "Are we on the same page!", another figurative phrase derived from its literal meaning.

Ya with me on this :D?

PS - There is one more special case of "with + object" that means "to understand."

Are you with it?

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