drop by

Meaning

To pay a brief, informal, and often unannounced visit to a place or a person's house. It is highly conversational and friendly, suggesting a relaxed visit without a strict schedule.

Examples

• Feel free to drop by my office if you have any questions this afternoon.

  Feel free to drop by my office if you have any questions this afternoon.

• We were in the neighborhood, so we decided to drop by and say hello.

  We were in the neighborhood, so we decided to drop by and say hello.

• Can I drop by your place tomorrow morning to pick up my book?

  Can I drop by your place tomorrow morning to pick up my book?

• My grandparents often drop by on weekends without calling first.

  My grandparents often drop by on weekends without calling first.

• He dropped by for a quick cup of coffee before heading to work.

  He dropped by for a quick cup of coffee before heading to work.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I will drop by to you tomorrow.

  ✓ I will drop by your place tomorrow.

  You cannot 'drop by' a person directly with 'to'. You drop by a place, or 'drop by to see' someone.

• ✗ She dropped by at my house.

  ✓ She dropped by my house.

  The preposition 'at' is redundant here. You can simply say 'drop by [place]'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Why don't you ___ after work? We can have dinner together.

  💡 To visit casually for a short time.

  Show answer

  drop by

• I need to ___ the post office on my way home.

  💡 Make a quick visit to a location.

  Show answer

  drop by