Meaning & use
get carded
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformalAmerican
to be asked to show proof of age, especially when buying alcohol or entering a bar.
Grammar: Used as a passive-like phrase: you get carded by someone. It does not take an object.
Patterns
- get carded at a bar
- get carded for alcohol
- get carded by someone
I got carded at the bar last night even though I'm almost thirty.
She always gets carded when she buys wine, which she finds annoying.
The waiter carded my older brother, but he didn't get carded because he looks young.
Common combinations
- get carded at the door
- We got carded at the door and had to show our IDs.
- get carded for beer
- He got carded for beer even though he's twenty-five.
- get carded by the bouncer
- She got carded by the bouncer before entering the club.
- get carded every time
- I get carded every time I order a drink.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be asked for ID
- This is a neutral, more formal way to say the same thing; 'get carded' is informal and American.
Commonly confused: get carded or card?
get carded vs card
As a verb, 'card' means to ask someone for ID, so the person checking does the carding, and the customer gets carded.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'I ______ at the bar because I look young.'
Choose one answer.
The customer receives the action, so the passive-like phrase 'got carded' is correct. 'Carded' alone would mean the customer asked someone else for ID, which is not the meaning here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “get carded”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.