🧩 Essential Phrasal Verbs
The verb + particle combinations that make English truly fluent
What Are Phrasal Verbs?
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a particle (preposition or adverb) that creates a new meaning — often completely different from the original verb. "Give up" doesn't mean "give" + "up" — it means "stop trying." Phrasal verbs are everywhere in everyday English and essential for natural speech.
| Verb | Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| look | look up | search for information | I looked up the word in a dictionary. |
| look | look after | take care of | She looks after her grandmother. |
| look | look forward to | anticipate with pleasure | I look forward to seeing you. |
| turn | turn on | activate | Turn on the lights. |
| turn | turn down | reject / lower volume | She turned down the job offer. |
| turn | turn up | arrive / increase | He turned up late to the meeting. |
Separable vs Inseparable
This is the most important grammar rule for phrasal verbs: some can be separated (verb ... particle), and some cannot. With separable phrasal verbs, pronouns MUST go between the verb and particle.
| Type | With Noun Object | With Pronoun Object | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separable | Turn on the light. / Turn the light on. | Turn it on. (NOT: Turn on it.) | Noun: either position. Pronoun: MUST separate. |
| Separable | Pick up the book. / Pick the book up. | Pick it up. (NOT: Pick up it.) | Same rule applies. |
| Inseparable | Look after the children. | Look after them. (NOT: Look them after.) | Object always follows the particle. |
| Inseparable | Get over the problem. | Get over it. (NOT: Get it over.) | Object always follows the particle. |
Essential Phrasal Verbs — Set 1
These are the 10 most common phrasal verbs in everyday English. Memorize these first:
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| give up | stop trying / quit | Separable | Don't give up your dreams. |
| look for | search / try to find | Inseparable | I'm looking for my keys. |
| find out | discover information | Separable | I found out the truth. |
| turn on / turn off | activate / deactivate | Separable | Turn off the TV. |
| pick up | lift / collect someone | Separable | I'll pick you up at 8. |
| put on | wear / dress in | Separable | Put on your jacket. |
| take off | remove (clothing) / depart (plane) | Separable | Take off your shoes. |
| get up | rise from bed | Inseparable | I get up at 7 AM. |
| come back | return | Inseparable | When will you come back? |
| go on | continue | Inseparable | Please go on — I'm listening. |
Essential Phrasal Verbs — Set 2
These 10 additional phrasal verbs are essential for intermediate-to-advanced English:
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| bring up | mention / raise (children) | Separable | Don't bring up that topic. |
| carry on | continue | Inseparable | Carry on with your work. |
| figure out | solve / understand | Separable | I can't figure out this problem. |
| get along (with) | have a good relationship | Inseparable | Do you get along with your colleagues? |
| look forward to | anticipate with pleasure | Inseparable | I look forward to the weekend. |
| run out of | have no more of | Inseparable | We've run out of milk. |
| set up | arrange / establish | Separable | Let's set up a meeting. |
| show up | arrive / appear | Inseparable | He didn't show up for work. |
| work out | exercise / solve / succeed | Separable/Inseparable | Things will work out fine. |
| break down | stop functioning / cry | Inseparable | My car broke down on the highway. |
German & Russian Parallels
Good news: both German and Russian have similar structures that can help you understand phrasal verbs. The concept isn't foreign — just the specific combinations are.
| English Phrasal Verb | German Separable Verb | Russian Prefixed Verb | Shared Logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| turn on (einschalten) | anmachen / einschalten | включить (в + ключить) | Activate → add "on/ein/в" |
| turn off (ausschalten) | ausmachen / ausschalten | выключить (вы + ключить) | Deactivate → add "off/aus/вы" |
| go out (ausgehen) | ausgehen | выходить (вы + ходить) | Exit → add "out/aus/вы" |
| come back (zurückkommen) | zurückkommen | возвращаться (воз + вращать) | Return → add "back/zurück/воз" |
| give up (aufgeben) | aufgeben | сдаваться | Surrender / quit |
| pick up (aufheben) | aufheben | поднять (под + нять) | Lift → add "up/auf/под" |
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