What does PICK YOUR BRAIN mean?

Trying to translate pick your brain literally makes no sense at all.

That’s because pick your brain is an idiomatic expression, and its real meaning has nothing to do with brains in a physical sense.

So keep reading to understand what pick your brain really means and to keep this expression at the tip of your tongue in English.

Pick Your Brain | Meaning

According to the Oxford Dictionary, pick someone’s brain means:

to obtain information by questioning someone who is better informed about a subject than oneself

The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as:

to ask someone’s advice about a subject the person knows a lot about

Pick your brain means:

The key idea is that the person you are asking knows more than you about the subject and is therefore in a position to help.

Here are common, natural examples you’ll hear in real English:

You know all about tax law. So, can I pick your brain for a minute?
I wanted to pick your brain about this idea I’ve had.
Do you have a moment? I need to pick your brain about a small situation that came up.
You should pick John’s brain sometime. He knows everything about car engines.
Mind if I pick your brain for a minute?
I spent the afternoon with Donna, picking her brain for ideas to use in our celebration.
I’ll definitely take the opportunity to pick their brains.

👉 Notice that:

Register: informal to neutral
Very common in:
- conversations
- workplace English
- academic and professional discussions
Sounds polite, natural, and collaborative

It is often used when you want help without sounding demanding.

The expression pick your brain is a powerful and natural way to:

Whenever you need ideas, guidance, or insight from someone who knows more than you, this expression fits perfectly.

If you enjoyed learning this idiom and want to learn another one with brain, check out:
What Does “Rack One’s Brain” Mean?

That’s all for now.
Take care — and keep learning.

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