Phrasal verbs · Free lesson
Hang up: end a phone call
You call a museum about a lost scarf. The staff member gives you the opening hours. You thank them, say goodbye, and end the call. How do you report that final action?
Professor Scott MendozaMeaning in this lesson
hang up
End a phone conversation.
Example
“I said goodbye and hung up.”
I ended the call after saying goodbye.
The short answer
Hang up means end the call. Its simple past is hung up: “I said goodbye and hung up.” Hang up alone can describe an ordinary, polite ending; hang up on someone suggests ending the call abruptly on that person.
Name the call ending; let context show the tone.
You can use hang up without an object: “Please do not hang up yet.” The past form is hung, not hanged, for this phone meaning. The expression still works when you press a button on a smartphone.
Three moments in a call
I picked up the phone.
Please do not hang up yet.
I thanked the museum staff and hung up.
Hang up is a two-word verb here. Do not write the verb as hang-up.
Report a polite ending
Give the closing action
I said goodbye ...
Add the end of the call
... and hung up.
Try it now
Choose the right phone expression
Read all answers and explanations
You said goodbye and ended the call. Choose the matching report.
I said goodbye and hung up.Hung up names the ending. Picked up answers the phone; called back means returning a call.
Choose the standard past form for ending a phone call.
I hung up after saying goodbye.Use hung up to report the past action. Hanged is not the phone form; hang is the present/base form.
What can “We said goodbye and hung up” describe?
An ordinary, polite end to a call.Hang up alone does not mean the caller was rude. Saying goodbye supports a normal closing here.
Build it yourself
Describe the end of your call
Use all five pieces. Start with I and put the goodbye before the end of the call.
Connect the two past actions with and. Select a piece again to move it back.
Your call report
0 of 5 piecesYour chosen pieces will appear here.
See a model answer
I said goodbye and hung up.
Both said and hung are past forms. The sentence reports a normal closing in order.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
Can I say hang up for a smartphone?
Yes. The phrase describes ending the call, including pressing the end-call button.
Tap the red button to hang up.
What does hang up on someone add?
It suggests ending the call suddenly on that person, rather than a shared, ordinary goodbye. Context still matters.
Please do not hang up on me; I have one more question.
Take it into your day
Hang up ends a call; hung up reports that action in the past.
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