Today I'm going to tell you three different ways of using the phrasal verb 'pick up'.

First, we use 'pick up' to describe learning something.

So, for example, I can say:

Children pick up languages very quickly.

And so can you at BBC Learning English!

Second, we use 'pick up' informally to describe buying something.

For example:

I often pick up some milk on my way home.

Third, we use 'pick up' to describe getting an illness.

I think I picked up a cold.

So, we can pick up languages, pick up some milk and pick up a cold.