Overview
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with one or two particles (prepositions or adverbs) that creates a new meaning different from the original verb.
- look = see with your eyes
- look up = search for information
- look after = take care of
- look forward to = anticipate with pleasure
Phrasal verbs are everywhere in everyday English. They're one of the hardest things for learners to master — but also one of the most rewarding.
Types of Phrasal Verbs
1. Intransitive (No Object)
These don't take an object:
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| break down | stop working (machine) | My car broke down on the highway. |
| wake up | stop sleeping | I woke up at 7 AM. |
| show up | arrive / appear | He finally showed up at noon. |
| get up | rise from bed | I get up early every day. |
| give up | quit / stop trying | Don't give up! |
| come back | return | When are you coming back? |
| go on | continue | Please go on — I'm listening. |
| take off | leave the ground (plane) | The plane took off on time. |
| grow up | become an adult | I grew up in a small town. |
| hang on | wait | Hang on — I'll be right there. |
2. Transitive Separable
These take an object, and the verb and particle can be separated:
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Together | Separated |
|---|---|---|---|
| turn on | activate | Turn on the light. | Turn the light on. |
| turn off | deactivate | Turn off the TV. | Turn the TV off. |
| pick up | lift / collect | Pick up the book. | Pick the book up. |
| put on | wear | Put on your coat. | Put your coat on. |
| take off | remove (clothing) | Take off your shoes. | Take your shoes off. |
| look up | search for | Look up the word. | Look the word up. |
| figure out | understand / solve | Figure out the answer. | Figure the answer out. |
| give back | return | Give back the money. | Give the money back. |
| throw away | discard | Throw away the trash. | Throw the trash away. |
| fill in | complete (a form) | Fill in the form. | Fill the form in. |
| turn down | reject / reduce volume | Turn down the offer. | Turn the offer down. |
| put off | postpone | Put off the meeting. | Put the meeting off. |
Critical rule: When the object is a pronoun (it, them, me, him, her), you MUST separate:
- Correct: Turn it off. / Pick them up.
- Wrong:
Turn off it./Pick up them.
3. Transitive Inseparable
These take an object, but the verb and particle cannot be separated:
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| look after | take care of | She looks after her elderly parents. |
| look for | search for | I'm looking for my keys. |
| look into | investigate | The police are looking into the case. |
| get over | recover from | She got over the illness quickly. |
| run into | meet by chance | I ran into an old friend. |
| come across | find by accident | I came across this article online. |
| get on | board (bus/train) | We got on the bus. |
| get off | exit (bus/train) | We got off at the next stop. |
| go through | experience / review | He went through a difficult time. |
| deal with | handle | I'll deal with this problem later. |
With inseparable phrasal verbs, the object (even a pronoun) goes after the particle:
- Correct: She looks after them.
- Wrong:
She looks them after.
4. Three-Word Phrasal Verbs (Always Inseparable)
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| look forward to | anticipate with pleasure | I look forward to seeing you. |
| get along with | have a good relationship | She gets along with everyone. |
| come up with | think of / invent | He came up with a great idea. |
| put up with | tolerate | I can't put up with this noise. |
| run out of | have no more | We've run out of milk. |
| keep up with | maintain the same speed/level | I can't keep up with the class. |
| look down on | feel superior to | She looks down on people without degrees. |
| look up to | admire / respect | Children look up to their parents. |
| get rid of | eliminate / throw away | I need to get rid of these old clothes. |
| catch up with | reach the same level | I need to catch up with my homework. |
The Most Essential Phrasal Verbs
Here are 25 phrasal verbs every English learner should know:
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| give up | stop trying / quit | She gave up smoking last year. |
| find out | discover | I found out the truth. |
| turn out | result / happen | It turned out to be a great day. |
| pick up | collect / learn informally | She picked up some Spanish on holiday. |
| set up | establish / arrange | They set up a new company. |
| bring up | raise (children) / mention | Don't bring up that topic. |
| carry on | continue | Carry on — you're doing great. |
| work out | exercise / solve / succeed | Things will work out in the end. |
| point out | indicate / mention | She pointed out the mistake. |
| end up | finally be in a situation | We ended up staying until midnight. |
| make up | invent / reconcile | They had a fight but made up later. |
| break up | end a relationship | They broke up after three years. |
| sort out | organize / resolve | I need to sort out my finances. |
| take over | assume control | The new manager took over in January. |
| hold on | wait | Hold on a moment, please. |
| calm down | become less upset | Calm down — everything is fine. |
| check out | examine / leave a hotel | Check out this new restaurant! |
| go ahead | proceed | Go ahead — I'll catch up. |
| come up | arise / happen | Something came up and I can't make it. |
| fall behind | fail to keep pace | I've fallen behind with my studies. |
| pass away | die (euphemism) | His grandmother passed away last week. |
| show off | boast / display proudly | He's always showing off his car. |
| put away | store in the correct place | Put away your toys. |
| let down | disappoint | Don't let me down. |
| cut down on | reduce | I'm cutting down on sugar. |
Phrasal Verbs with Multiple Meanings
Many phrasal verbs have several different meanings depending on context:
Take off
- The plane took off. (left the ground)
- He took off his jacket. (removed)
- Her career really took off. (became successful)
- I'm taking Friday off. (not working)
Pick up
- Pick up that pen. (lift)
- I'll pick you up at 8. (collect by car)
- She picked up French quickly. (learned informally)
- Business is picking up. (improving)
Turn down
- He turned down the job offer. (rejected)
- Turn down the music. (reduce volume)
Work out
- I work out three times a week. (exercise)
- We need to work out a solution. (find/calculate)
- Everything worked out in the end. (succeeded)
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Not separating with pronouns
- Wrong:
I'll pick up her at 8. - Correct: I'll pick her up at 8.
Mistake 2: Separating inseparable phrasal verbs
- Wrong:
I'm looking my keys for. - Correct: I'm looking for my keys.
Mistake 3: Using the wrong particle
- Wrong:
I'm looking forward for your visit. - Correct: I'm looking forward to your visit.
Mistake 4: Forgetting the particle changes meaning
- I looked up the word. (searched for it) ≠ I looked at the word. (directed my eyes at it)
- She turned down the offer. (rejected) ≠ She turned around. (physically rotated)
Mistake 5: Translating literally from your language
- Phrasal verbs rarely translate word-for-word. "Give up" doesn't mean "give" + "up" — it means "stop trying." Learn them as complete units.
Learning Strategy
Phrasal verbs can feel overwhelming because there are thousands of them. Here's a practical approach:
Group by Base Verb
Learn all the phrasal verbs with one base verb together:
GET: get up, get on, get off, get over, get along with, get rid of, get back, get away, get through
TAKE: take off, take on, take over, take up, take back, take after, take out, take in
COME: come back, come up, come across, come up with, come along, come in, come out
Group by Topic
Or learn them in context — phrasal verbs you'd use when talking about:
- Work: take on, carry out, set up, deal with, put off
- Relationships: get along with, break up, make up, let down, look up to
- Daily life: wake up, get up, turn on, put on, take off, throw away
Practice Tips
- Learn in context, not in lists: When you encounter a phrasal verb in a book, film, or conversation, write down the whole sentence — not just the verb.
- Test separability: After learning a new phrasal verb, try using it with a pronoun to see if it separates.
- Use them in speaking: Phrasal verbs make your English sound more natural. Instead of "investigate," say "look into." Instead of "tolerate," say "put up with."
- Keep a phrasal verb journal: Write one new phrasal verb per day with a sentence you create yourself.
- Watch English-language TV shows: Sitcoms and dramas are packed with phrasal verbs in natural conversation.