You have just joined a call and everyone is talking about a decision you know nothing about. Or a colleague is back from holiday and needs to know what happened while they were away. Both moments have the same phrase in business English.
To “be up to speed” means to have the latest information and fully understand the current situation. To “bring someone up to speed” means to give them that information so they can catch up. Both are very common in meetings, emails and handovers, and both sound natural in almost any professional setting.
Be up to speed
Have the latest information and fully understand the current situation.
- “I’m not up to speed on the project.”
- “Did HR bring you all up to speed on the new policy?” “Yes, we’re all up to speed on it.”
Synonyms: be informed, be in the loop
Bring someone up to speed
Give someone the latest information, or help them catch up.
- “I’m not up to speed on the project.” “No problem, I’ll bring you up to speed.”
- “Can you bring the new team members up to speed before Monday?”
Synonyms: update someone, brief someone, fill someone in
Get up to speed
A third version is just as useful. “Get up to speed” means to learn what you need to know, often quickly. “I’ve got two days to get up to speed on the new software.”
Phrases you can use today
- “Could someone bring me up to speed on where we are with the budget?”
- “Let me bring you up to speed before the client joins.”
- “Is everyone up to speed, or should I give a quick recap?”
- “I’m still getting up to speed, so please bear with me.”
Asking to be brought up to speed is not a sign of weakness. In English-speaking workplaces it is seen as responsible and efficient, much better than pretending you know what is going on.
