Meaning & use
ring me
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseBritish
Call me on the phone.
Grammar: Used as an imperative or after can/could/will; the object 'me' comes right after 'ring'.
Patterns
- ring me later
- ring me on + number
- ring me back
Ring me when you get home so I know you're safe.
Could you ring me tomorrow morning before nine?
She rang me twice, but I missed both calls.
Common combinations
- ring me back
- I'm in a meeting — can I ring you back in an hour?
- ring me later
- Ring me later and we'll decide about dinner.
- ring me at work
- Don't ring me at work; text instead.
- ring me on my mobile
- Ring me on my mobile if the office line is busy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- call me
- The usual American choice; 'ring me' is the everyday British equivalent.
- phone me
- Also British and very common; slightly more neutral in tone than 'ring me'.
- give me a ring
- Informal British phrase with the same meaning, but 'me' comes after 'a ring'.
Word family
Commonly confused: ring me or call me? ring me or rang me?
ring me vs call me
'Call me' works in both British and American English; 'ring me' sounds clearly British and slightly informal.
ring me vs rang me
'Rang me' is the past tense: 'She rang me yesterday.' Do not say 'She ring me yesterday.'
Practice
Which sentence is correct British English?
Choose one answer.
'Ring' takes the person as a direct object with no preposition, so 'ring me' is correct. 'Ring to me' and 'ring at me' wrongly add a preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ring me”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.