Are you ready to widen your French vocabulary with the most common French verbs? Check out this list of 200 common French verbs with their corresponding English translation.
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Check out:French Verb Conjugation Quiz---How Many Can You Answer Correctly?
200 Most Common French Verbs
être | to be; being |
avoir | to have |
aller | to go |
faire | to do, make |
dire | to say, tell |
pouvoir | can, to be able to |
vouloir | to want |
savoir | to know |
voir | to see |
devoir | to have to, must; duty, test |
venir | to come, occur |
suivre | to follow |
parler | to speak, talk |
prendre | to take, get |
croire | to believe, think |
aimer | to love, like, be fond of |
falloir | it is necessary, must, have to |
passer | to pass, go by, cross |
penser | to think |
attendre | to wait for, expect |
trouver | to find |
laisser | to leave |
arriver | to arrive |
donner | to give, give away |
regarder | to look at, watch |
appeler | to call, ring |
partir | to go, leave, go away |
mettre | to put, put on, wear |
rester | to stay, remain |
arrêter | to stop |
connaître | to know, experience |
demander | to ask, ask for, be looking for |
comprendre | to understand |
sortir | to go out; take out |
entendre | to hear, listen to, understand |
chercher | to look for, seek |
aider | to help, aid |
essayer | to try, try out, test |
revenir | to come back, return |
jouer | to play |
finir | to finish, end |
perdre | to lose, miss |
sentir | to smell, sniff, feel |
rentrer | to bring in, take in; to get in, go in, come home |
vivre | to live, be alive, go through |
rendre | to return, give back, repay |
tenir | to hold, run, keep, last |
oublier | to forget, miss |
travailler | to work, work on, practice |
manger | to eat |
entrer | to go in, enter, come in |
devenir | to become |
commencer | to start, begin |
payer | to pay |
tirer | to pull, draw |
ouvrir | to open |
changer | to change, exchange |
excuser | to forgive, pardon, excuse |
dormir | to sleep; to lie idle |
occuper | to occupy, live in, take up |
marcher | to walk, march, go |
envoyer | to send, throw, dispatch, refer |
apprendre | to learn, to hear (about) |
boire | to drink (consume alcohol), to soak up |
garder | to keep, to look after, to guard |
montrer | to show, point out |
asseoir | to sit down, sit up |
porter | to carry, wear |
prier | to pray |
servir | to serve |
écrire | to write |
retrouver | to find; to meet |
gagner | to win, earn |
acheter | to buy |
rappeler | to remind, remember, call back, be reminiscent of |
lire | to read |
monter | to go up, rise, come up |
quitter | to leave, depart |
emmener | to take (somebody), take along |
toucher | to touch |
continuer | to continue, go on |
Raconter | to tell |
répondre | to answer, reply |
sauver | to save; languagedaily dot com |
rencontrer | to meet, encounter |
fermer | to close, shut |
valoir | to hold, apply; to be worth |
compter | to count |
bouger | to move |
apporter | to bring, supply |
décider | to decide |
vendre | to sell |
expliquer | to explain, account for |
agir | to act, behave; work, take effect |
adorer | to adore, love |
recevoir | to receive, to get |
utiliser | to use |
coucher | to put to bed, lay down, to sleep |
préférer | to prefer |
offrir | to offer, give |
préparer | to prepare, make, get ready |
choisir | to choose |
conduire | to drive, lead |
chanter | to sing |
présenter | to introduce, present |
accepter | to accept |
refuser | to refuse, turn down |
terminer | to end, finish |
amuser | to amuse, entertain |
intéresser | to interest |
Rire | to laugh, have fun, joke |
pardonner | to forgive, pardon, excuse |
embrasser | to kiss; to embrace, encompass |
danser | to dance |
détester | to hate, detest |
maintenir | to keep, maintain |
supposer | to suppose, assume |
épouser | to marry, to espouse |
approcher | to approach |
craindre | to fear, to be afraid of |
crier | to shout |
inviter | to invite |
arranger | to arrange, to organize |
remercier | to thank |
répéter | to repeat; to go over, rehearse |
signer | to sign |
accompagner | to go with, accompany |
oser | to dare |
permettre | Allow |
annuler | Cancel |
laver | Clean |
se plaindre | Complain |
faire du mal | Hurt |
avoir besoin | to have |
épeler | to spell |
traduire | Translate |
éteindre | turn off |
allumer | turn on |
se réveiller | wake up |
ajouter | to add |
goûter | to taste |
coûter | to cost |
cuire | to cook |
décrire | to describe |
effacer | to erase |
enseigner | to teach |
nettoyer | to clean |
noter | to write down |
reconnaître | to recognize |
remplacer | to replace |
visiter | to visit |
souhaiter | to wish |
tomber | to fall |
acclamer | to cheer, acclaim |
accorder | to admit |
accourir | to hurry |
accrocher | to hang (up) |
accueillir | to welcome |
acquérir | to acquire |
adjoindre | to appoint |
admirer | to admire |
annoncer | to announce |
arracher | to pull up/out |
augmenter | to increase |
avoir raison | to be right |
blaguer | to joke |
causer | to chat, cause |
cheminer | to walk on |
confondre | to confuse |
conseiller | to recommend |
dépenser | to spend |
emprunter | to borrow |
endormir | to fall asleep |
éviter | to avoid |
féliciter | to congratulate |
geindre | to groan |
informer | to inform |
nommer | to name |
louer | to rent |
ressentir | to feel |
secouer | to shake |
soutenir | to support |
jurer | to swear, vow |
méprendre | to mistake |
mélanger | to mix |
apprendre par coeur | to memorize |
reconduire | to renew |
rejeter | to reject |
gérer | to manage |
refléter | to reflect |
presser | to squeeze |
répandre | to spread |
frapper | to knock |
remettre | to put back (on) |
revêtir | to put on |
enregistrer | to record |
pêcher | to fish |
rougir | to redden |
tousser | to cough |
pleurer | to cry |
Conclusion
So there you have it, 200 of the most common French verbs. You can also check out the different French vocabulary lists such as:
Be sure to start practicing these words with our Ultimate French Pronunciation Guide!
Of course, conjugation is another thing you'll have to work on. You know what will help you learn French verb conjugations effortlessly?
Here's what:
French Verb Drills!
With French Verb Drills, you'll be able to learn how to conjugate French verbs without memorizing anything. The drills cover just the most commonly used French verbs, but it will help you learn 80% of all French verbs through the verb endings.
Check it out below!
About the Author Frederic Bibard
Frederic Bibard is the founder of Talk in French, a company that helps french learners to practice and improve their french. Macaron addict. Jacques Audiard fan. You can contact him on Twitter and Google +
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Below is a list of some common phrasal verbs used in business. The verbs with an asterisk (*) are separable (the verb can be split by its object).
Also see:
Phrasal Verbs for Business (practice exercise)
Phrasal Verb Collocations (practice exercise)
Phrasal Verb Games and Activities
How to Teach Phrasal Verbs
Common Phrasal Verbs for Business
Phrasal Verb | Definition | Example |
---|---|---|
to ask around | to ask many people the same question | I need a good real estate agent. Could you ask around and see if anyone knows one? |
to back * up | to support | Thanks for backing me up in the meeting. |
to call * back | to return a phone call | We have a bad connection. I'll call you back in a few minutes. |
to call * off | to cancel | Management is going to call the meeting off because so many people are out sick today. |
to check in | to arrive and register at a hotel or airport | We checked in around 5 p.m. and then got something to eat. |
to check in (with someone) | to talk with someone to ensure things are going okay | As a manager, I feel it's important to check in with everyone on my team at least once a day. |
to check out | to leave a hotel | We checked out a few hours late and had to pay an extra fee. |
to check * out | to look at carefully, investigate | I'm not sure why the copier isn't working. I'll check it out. |
to chip/pitch in | to help | We should be able to finish quickly if everyone pitches in. |
to come across | to find unexpectedly | I was reading last night and I came across a couple of phrasal verbs I had never seen before. |
to count on | to rely on | We have a great team. I can count on everyone to do their best. |
to cut back on | to consume less | It's a tough economy. We're trying to cut back on unnecessary expenses. |
to cut in | to interrupt | Can I cut in and say something, please? |
to do * over | to do again | I can't believe I closed the document without saving. Now I'm going to have to do the whole thing over. |
to do away with | to discard; to put an end to | They did away with bonuses last year because their profits were so low. |
to drop * off | to take someone/something somewhere and leave them/it there | My car was in the shop, so Kevin dropped me off at my house. |
to drop/stop by | to come without an appointment; to visit briefly | John dropped by my office to talk about last month's sales figures. |
to end up | to eventually reach, do, or decide | At first I thought I wanted to be an accountant. Then, I studied finance. I ended up getting my degree in management, though. |
to figure * out | to understand; to find the answer | I can't figure out why the printer isn't working. I've tried everything, and it still won't work. |
to fill * out | to write information in blanks | Please fill out these forms and bring them on your first day of work. |
to find out | to gain knowledge about something | I just found out how to forward my email from one account to another. |
to get * back | to receive something that you had before | It's a secure area, so you have to leave your cell phone with the guard. You'll get it back when you exit the building. |
to get back at | to retaliate; to take revenge on someone | He might get back at you for asking him so many tough questions during his presentation. |
to get in | 1. to enter 2. to arrive | 1. Get in the car. I'll give you a ride. 2. I worked late last night and didn't get in until after 9 p.m. |
to get over | to recover | I was upset that I didn't get the promotion, but I got over it after a while. |
to get together | to gather, assemble | This weekend I'm going to get together with some friends from college. |
to get up | 1. to get out of bed 2. to stand | 1. I get up late on the weekends because I have to get up really early during the week. 2. He got up and walked to the podium to give his speech. |
to give in | to reluctantly stop fighting or arguing | Management didn't want to give in to the union's demands, but in the end they had no choice. |
to give * up | to quit a habit or quit doing a certain activity | I gave up checking Facebook at work. I'm trying to be more productive. |
to give up | to stop trying | Just because we failed the first time doesn't mean we should give up. We just need a new approach. |
to go after | 1. to follow someone 2. to try to achieve something | 1. Pam will give her talk first, and Scott will go after her. 2. If we got their business, they would be our biggest client. I'm really going to go after the account. |
to go against | to compete; oppose | We're going against three or four other contractors. Be sure to bid low. |
to go over | to review | I want to go over last month's numbers with you. |
to hand * in | to submit (a report, a paper, etc) | I forgot to hand in my expense reports. Now I won't get reimbursed until next month. |
to hand * out | to distribute the same thing to a group of people | I'll start explaining the changes while Jason hands out a copy of the new policy. |
to hang/hold on | to wait for a short time (informal) | Could you hang on for a second? I'll be right there. |
to keep * up | to continue doing something | You're doing a fantastic job. Keep it up! |
to let * down | to disappoint; to not help or support | Our suppliers promised us we'd have the shipment yesterday. We still haven't received our order. They really let us down. |
to let * in | to allow to enter | I forgot my badge again. Hopefully someone else is in the office and can let me in. |
to look * over | to check; examine | Could you look over this report to make sure there are no mistakes? |
to look forward to | to be excited about something in the future | I'm looking forward to the three-day weekend. |
to look into | to investigate | We're looking into ways to cut costs. |
to look out for | to be careful, vigilant, and take notice | You must always look out for new business opportunities. |
to look up to | to have a lot of respect for someone | I look up to Madeline. She has been with the company for many years and is extremely knowledgeable. |
to make * up | 1. to invent (a story, lie, excuse, reason, etc.) 2. to compensate for something | 1. I don't believe their story. I think they made it up. 2. I didn't get anything accomplished yesterday. I'm going to have to work extra hard today to make up for it. |
to make up | to resolve an argument or quarrel | Are they still fighting about that? I thought they had made up a while ago? |
to mix * up | to confuse two or more things | I always mix their names up. Which one is Bob, and which one is Brad? |
to not care for | to not like (formal) | I don't care for team building activities. I think they are a waste of time. |
to pass * out | to give the same thing to many people | Carly is passing out a schedule of today's events. |
to pass * up | to decline (usually something good) | Don't pass up on this great opportunity. Place your order today. |
to put * off | to postpone | I haven't done my taxes yet. I've been putting it off for a long time. |
to put * together | to assemble | How long will it take to put together a proposal? |
to run into | to encounter someone unexpectedly | I ran into Stacey from Accounting in the supermarket yesterday. |
to send * back | to return | The product was defective. We're sending it back. |
to set * up | to arrange; organize | I'll set up the conference call and send you the invite. |
to shop around | to compare prices | We should bid low on this one. They always shop around. |
to sort * out | to organize or resolve a problem | There was some confusion with the schedule. No one is sure who is on call this weekend. We're calling a meeting to sort it out. |
to take * back | 1. to return an item 2. to retract a statement | 1. This product isn't what I expected. I'm going to take it back to the store. 2. I didn't mean it. I take it back. |
to think * over | to consider | Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do. The job offer is great, but I'm not sure I want to leave my current position. I'll have to think it over. |
to try * out | to test or use something experimentally | We're going to try it out for a few weeks and let you know what we think. If we like it, we'll place an order. |
to turn * down | 1. to decrease the volume or strength of something (volume, heat, etc.) 2. to reject an offer | 1. Could you turn your music down so I can take this call? 2. They turned down our proposal. |
to use * up | to finish the supply | I can't believe it's only May and I've already used up all my sick days. |
Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and one or more particles (adverb/preposition). They are often used, especially in informal spoken English. The meaning of phrasal verbs is often completely different from the meaning of the words taken separately. Let's see some common Phrasal Verbs:
Form:
1) Some phrasal verbs never use an object.
get up = get out of bed
I get up at seven o’clock every morning.
take off = leave the ground
The plane took off on time.
look out = beware! be careful!
Look out! That car is going to hit you!
get on = be good friends
My dad and my brother don’t get on.
break down = stop working (for vehicles)
Our car broke down on the way home from Scotland.
make up = become friends again after an argument
The kids often fight but they always make up afterwards.
2) Some phrasal verbs need an object.
get off something = exit transport
Get off the bus at the next stop.
look after someone / something = take care of someone / something
Please can you look after our cats while we’re on holiday?
see to something = do, arrange, prepare, organise
Don’t worry about dinner. I’ll see to it.
look into something = investigate
There has been a burglary at the school. Police are looking into it.
get to = arrive at
When you get to the end of the street, turn right.
3) Some phrasal verbs contain three words and an object.
look up to someone = respect someone
I look up to my teachers.
look forward to something = be excited about (a future event)
I’m looking forward to the party.
get on with someone = be good friends with someone
I don’t get on with Karen.
get on with something = continue doing something
Please be quiet and get on with your work.
put up with something = tolerate
I can’t put up with that noise any longer!
You can now try this QUIZ.
Phrasal verbs in context
Things we do every day
These very common phrasal verbs are used to describe the type of actions that wedo every day. Choose the correct form of a phrasal verb from the box to replacethe words in italics in the sentences below. Put the verbs in the correct tense.
work out get up turn off put on go out take off wake up |
1. I (1) stopped sleepingvery early this morning.
2. I (2) stop sleeping and get out of bedat 7 o’clock during the week.
3. She (3) removedher jacket as she came in.
4. I (4) pulled ona coat and left the house.
5. He (5) left the house for a social activitywith some friends.
6. She (6) does physical exercisein the local gym every day.
7. Is the computer turned on? Will you (7) stop it working by pressing a button, please?
Sometimes English phrasal verbs make sense…
100 Most Common Phrasal Verbs List Pdf
And sometimes they seem totally random.
Look at the cute kitten at the top of this page, for example. It looks like she’s going to hit those paper birds until they fall down.
It’s pretty easy to guess that this means she’s going to make the birds fall or drop.
But what if I shouted to her, “Cut it out!”
It sounds like I’m asking her to grab a pair of scissors, right? But I’m just telling her to stop what she’s doing.
Phrasal verbs open up a whole new world of possibilities for speaking English. They are phrases that give verbs completely different meanings. They are also used incredibly often in everyday conversation, which makes them important to know.
The good news is that a lot of English phrasal verbs share the same base verb (cut it out, cut off, cut in — more on all of those below). If you learn the phrasal verbs associated with one verb, you’ll give your vocabulary an instant boost!
In this English phrasal verbs list, we’ll show you 56 of the most common phrasal verbs—conveniently organized by type.
So come on, let’s learn some phrasal verbs.
What Is a Phrasal Verb?
A phrasal verb is a phrase that’s made up of a verb and another word or two, usually a preposition but sometimes an adverb.
So before we can talk about English phrasal verbs, it’s important to understand what verbs, prepositions and adverbs are.
- A verb is an action word. It describes something happening (e.g. hearing, seeing), a state of being (e.g. to live, to sleep), or an action being done (e.g. to read, to sing).
- A preposition is a word that describes the relationship between two words. For example, the bees are above the table or under the table, but not inside the table (hopefully). Prepositions mainly deal with location or direction (e.g. on, through, around) and time (e.g. “by” or “around” a certain time).
- An adverb is a word that describes a verb. For example, you can run quickly or slowly and arrive to class early or late.
Now that you know what verbs and prepositions are, you’re ready to start putting them together into phrasal verbs.
Phrasal verbs work by changing the verb’s meaning based on the preposition that follows them.
It’s easier than you think—you probably already know a number of phrasal verbs. For example, read the last sentence before this section: “So come on, let’s learn some phrasal verbs.” The words “come on” in that sentence are a phrasal verb!
The word “come,” on its own, means to move towards something. Together with the preposition “on,” though, the phrase “come on” becomes a phrase of encouragement.
There are many other phrasal verbs out there!
How to Learn English Phrasal Verbs
English phrasal verbs are everywhere, so one of the best ways to learn them is to try to listen for them. These phrases are commonly used, and would not be unusual to hear in a conversation. Do you hear a verb used together with another word very often? It might be a phrasal verb.
If you’re not sure whether a phrase is a phrasal verb or just a verb that happened to be spoken with a preposition, try looking it up. Most dictionaries have entries for phrasal verbs, so look the phrase up to be sure. You can also look up the phrase in the online Oxford Phrasal Verbs Dictionary, which is an excellent resource, so save that link!
Some phrasal verb meanings are obvious—like “fall down”—but some are almost like idioms since they can’t be literally translated. To make them easier to learn, you can try grouping the phrasal verbs into categories, like we’ve done with our phrasal verbs list below.
Don’t be afraid to create your own categories from different types of phrasal verbs. For example, you could group phrasal verbs that are focused on time of day (e.g. wake up, lie down) or positive vs. negative (e.g. cheer up/give up). That’s why we’ve organized our phrasal verbs list below into groups.
There are so many phrasal verbs that it might seem difficult to learn them all. But many of these phrases become natural after a while—all it takes is some repetition and practice.
One of the fastest ways to understand phrasal verbs and use them correctly is watching videos on FluentU. FluentU provides authentic English videos—like movie trailers, TV commercials, inspiring speeches and more—where you will hear tons of phrasal verbs used naturally by native speakers. And you never have to worry about misunderstanding them.
That’s because FluentU has English learning tools built into every video, including interactive subtitles. Just tap on any phrasal verb (or any word at all) and FluentU will give you an instant definition, grammar information and examples.
As an example, if you tap on the word “brought,” then you see this:
FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.
There are also flashcards and fun quizzes for every video to help you remember what you’ve learned.
FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples.
For instance, watch this video of José Gonzales performing the song “Heartbeats,” which has several English phrasal verbs. If you sign up for a FluentU trial, you can watch with all the learning features and explore the full video library. There are thousands of videos for beginners through advanced learners.
How to Use English Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are used just like verbs—you can use them anywhere they make sense!
Usually, the verb and preposition in a phrasal verb need to be said together, like in the phrase “fall down.” In some cases, though, you can separate the verb and the preposition by putting other words in between them.
For example: the phrase “turn off” can be used just like that, or it can be interrupted by stating what you’re turning off.
In other words, you can say “turn off the TV,” but you can also say “turn the TV off.” Both are correct!
Another thing to keep in mind about phrasal verbs is that they are still verbs. That means the verb part of the phrase can be changed depending on the tense and subject of the sentence. So “turn off” can transform like this:
I turned off the TV this morning.
She turns off the TV every time I enter the room!
It will take you a while to get used to which phrasal verbs can be separated and which can’t, so hang in there!
Below are some of the most common English phrasal verbs. We organized them alphabetically so they’re easy to find—like an English phrasal verb dictionary—but you can group them however you want when you’re learning them!
Phrasal Verbs with “Bring”
Bring up
To mention something.
Note: The two parts of this phrasal verb can be separated in a sentence.
“Mark was sick and had to miss the party, so please don’t bring it up, I don’t want him to feel bad for missing it.”
Bring on
To cause something to happen, usually something negative.
The two parts of this phrasal verb can be separated by what’s happening.
“His lung cancer was broughton by years of smoking.”
Bring it on!
To accept a challenge with confidence.
“You want to have a race? Bringit on! I can beat you!”
Phrasal Verbs with “Call”
Call on
This can mean either to visit someone, or to use someone’s or something’s knowledge.
To visit someone: “I’ll call on you this evening to see how you’re feeling.”
To use someone’s knowledge: “I may need to call on the university’s excellent professors in order to answer your question.”
Call off
To cancel something.
“The picnic was called off because of the rain.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Cheer”
Cheer on
To support someone by giving them words of encouragement. This phrasal verb can be separated by the name or pronoun of the person/people being cheered on).
“Even though Samantha was in the last place, her brother cheered her on through the entire race.”
![Common Common](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/08/40/39/08403996b1445beeefd3b680e59e9a4d.jpg)
Cheer up
This phrase can either be used as a phrase of encouragement said to someone who seems sad (just saying “cheer up!” to them), or it can mean to try to make someone happier.
“Andrew was having a bad day, so his girlfriend cheered him up by taking him out for ice cream.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Come”
Come up (with something)
To think of an idea.
“I cameup with this idea for a TV show about a woman living with her best friend and daughter. I call it ‘Two and a Half Women.’”
Come up
To bring up a topic, or when something happens unexpectedly.
To bring up a topic: “I wanted to tell her that I got a new job but the chance never cameup.”
Unexpected occurrence: “I was going to meet my friends for dinner, but something cameup so I had to cancel.”
Come in
To enter.
“‘Come in, the door is open!’ said the grandmother to the wolf.”
Come across
To meet or find by chance.
“I was cleaning the attic and I cameacross my high school uniform. Can you believe it still fits?”
Come forward
To volunteer information about something, like a crime.
“The police are encouraging people to comeforward with any information about the kidnapped girl.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Cut”
Cut off
This phrase can be used in several ways, but its general meaning is “to interrupt or stop something.” (Can be separated.)
While driving, to get in front of another car suddenly: “That red car just cut me off and I almost crashed into it.”
To stop supplying things to or communicating with someone: “His father is rich but he cut him off without any money of his own.”
Cut (it) out
This phrase has the same meaning as saying “Stop it.”
“Hey, cut it out! I was watching that movie, so stop changing the channel!”
Cut in
To interrupt someone when they are speaking.
“I was about to ask that girl on a date, but her friend cut in and I lost the chance.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Drop”
Drop by/in
To stop by for a visit, for a short time.
“Andrew is such a great boyfriend, when he heard that his girlfriend had a cold he dropped by to bring her some soup.”
Drop off
To leave something or someone in their destination.
It can be separated by the object being dropped off.
“I can give you a ride and drop you off at work.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Fall”
Fall apart
This phrase means “to break into pieces,” but it can be used to talk about things that are not physical, like a marriage or a person.
“They tried to save their marriage by going to therapy but in the end if fellapart anyway.”
Fall down
To drop to the ground, usually by accident.
“My friend slipped on a banana peel and felldown. I thought that only happened in cartoons!”
Phrasal Verbs with “Fill”
Fill (someone) in
To give someone the details about something.
This English phrasal verb is usually separated by the person getting filled in.
“Quickly, let’s go! There’s no time to explain, I’ll fill you in on the way.”
Fill up
To become completely full.
“The little girl filledup on candy before dinner, and didn’t want to eat any of the chicken.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Get”
Get away
To escape.
You may have heard the phrase “getaway car,” which can help you remember this phrasal verb. That’s the car used by criminals to run away from a crime scene, like a bank robbery.
“Carmen’s neighbor tried to show her pictures of all her cats, but Carmen managed to get away.”
Get around
To solve a problem by avoiding the main issue. This phrase can also be used very informally to refer to someone who has many sexual partners. As you can imagine, it’s not very nice to say that someone “gets around”!
“Some people know all the different ways to getaround tax laws.”
Get along (with)
To have a friendly relationship with someone.
“Some people are surprised that I getalongwith my mother-in-law really well!”
Get up
To stand up, or to wake up.
“I have so much trouble gettingup in the morning that I have to set three alarms.”
Get back to
To return to someone or something. This phrase is often used to say that you will return with an answer to a question or a request at a later time.
“Derek’s coworker wasn’t sure what time the meeting was, so he said he’d getbackto him with the time.”
Get back at
To get revenge on someone.
“Her ex-husband took her house so she gotbackat him by taking his dogs.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Give”
Give out
This phrase can mean to break down or stop working, or to hand out or distribute something.
To stop working: “The city had to rebuild the bridge completely, because it was about to giveout and fall down.”
To distribute: “He has a lot of contacts because he givesout his business card to everyone he meets.”
Give in
To surrender, especially in a fight or argument.
“Ben’s mother gavein and let him stay out late with his friends.”
Give away
To hand things out for free.
This phrasal verb can be separated by the item being given away.
“When Linda’s cat had kittens, she gave them all away to good homes.”
Give up
To stop trying, surrender.
“After two weeks of trying to build my own table, I gaveup and just bought one.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Go”
Go out (with)
To go on a date with someone.
“Sarah was so happy when Peter finally asked her to gooutwith him!”
Go ahead
To go in front of someone, or to give permission to do or say something.
“Go ahead, explain to me why there is a car on my roof.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Grow”
Grow up
To grow up, sometimes used to tell someone to stop acting childish.
“Some people tell Steve he needs to growup, but he loves acting like a child.”
Grow apart
To get distant from someone, like a friend.
“When my friend moved to a different country I tried to stay close with her, but we slowly grewapart.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Hang”
Hang on
To keep something.
“When everyone else was getting fired, Paul managed to hangon to his job.”
Hang out
To spend time with someone, casually.
“My friends and I used to hangout in the park after school.”
Hang up
To end a call on the phone, especially if it’s before the other person is ready.
“I was in the middle of a sentence, and he hungup on me! How rude.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Hold”
Hold on
To hold something tightly. This phrase can also be a way of asking someone to wait for a moment.
“You’d better holdon to your hat, it’s windy out there!”
Hold back
To stop yourself from doing or saying something.
“Amy has a great voice but whenever she’s singing in public she feels shy and holdsback.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Log”
Log in (to)
Used with computers, this phrase means to sign into your account on a website or computer.
Common Phrasal Verbs List Pdf
“Don’t forget to login to your FluentU account to learn English better and faster.”
Log out/off
Also used with computers, this phrase means to sign out of your account.
“You should always logout of your accounts when you use a public computer.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Look”
Look up
To check the meaning of something—can be separated by the item being looked up.
“If you don’t know the meaning of a word, you should look it up in the dictionary.”
Look out
To watch out for something.
“Lookout, there’s a baseball coming your way!”
Phrasal Verbs with “Pay”
Pay back
To give someone back money that you owe them—can be separated by the person getting paid back.
When it’s written as one word, “payback” means revenge.
“Thanks for getting me lunch when I forgot my wallet at home! I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”
Pay for
This phrase can either mean to give someone money for a particular purpose (like paying for a new car), or to suffer because of something you did.
“He’ll pay for all the problems he caused me by being late today!”
Phrasal Verbs with “Put”
Put out
This phrase can mean to extinguish a fire, or to irritate someone by asking them for a favor. (In the case of annoying someone, can be separated by the person getting annoyed.) Be aware that in very informal slang, this phrase has a more offensive meaning.
To extinguish a fire: “The firefighters managed to putout the fire before it spread to other houses.”
To irritate someone: “I’d ask you to make me dinner but I don’t want to put you out.”
Put on
To get your clothes or makeup on.
“Every morning she putson her dress, lipstick, shoes and hat—in that order.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Take”
Take off
This phrase can mean to remove clothing, or to leave for a journey (e.g. planes take off when they begin their flights).
“She was very happy when she finally got home and tookoff her shoes. They had been hurting her feet all day!”
Take out
To remove something, like from a pocket or a bag. This phrase can also mean to take someone on a date. It can be separated by the item or person being taken out.
The phrase can also mean to remove someone, as in by killing them—but this is probably not something you would need to use in everyday conversation!
To remove something: “The children sat at their desks and tookout their pens and paper.”
To take someone on a date: “He took her out to the most expensive restaurant in the city.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Turn”
Turn on/off
To switch a machine or light on or off.
“Turn off the light, I’m trying to sleep!”
Turn around
To move so that you’re facing the opposite direction.
“Sally was about to get on the plane, but she turnedaround when someone called her name.”
Turn up
When something that was lost is found unexpectedly.
“Anything I lose usually turnsup under the couch. It’s my cat’s favorite hiding place.”
![Phrasal Phrasal](https://www.eslprintables.com/previewprintables/2011/apr/22/thumb104220848510126.jpg)
Phrasal Verbs with “Warm”
Warm up (to)
To start liking someone or something more as you spend more time with them, especially if you didn’t really like them in the beginning.
“The new puppy was scared of my husband when we first got him, but he warmedupto him pretty quickly.”
Phrasal Verbs with “Work”
Work out
To exercise.
“I try to workout every morning, by repeatedly lifting a heavy donut to my mouth.”
Work (something) out
To come up with a solution or a compromise with someone.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure we can worksomethingout so that everyone is happy.”
How many of these English phrasal verbs did you already know? Phrasal verbs are everywhere! Don’t be afraid of how many there are—just start with a few at a time and soon you’ll be an expert.
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Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
abide by | To respect or obey a decision, a law or a rule | If you want to keep your job here, you must abide by our rules. |
account for | To explain, give a reason | I hope you can account for the time you were out! |
add up | To make sense, seem reasonable | The facts in the case just don’t add up. |
advise against | To recommend not doing something | I advise against walking alone in this neighborhood. |
agree with | To have the same opinion as someone else. | I agree with you. I think you should go as well. |
allow for | To take into consideration | We need to allow for unexpected charges along the way. |
appeal to |
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apply for | To make a formal request for something (job, permit, loan etc.) | He applied for a scholarship for next semester. |
back away | To move backwards, in fear or dislike | When he saw the bear, he backed away in fright. |
back down | To withdraw, concede defeat | Local authorities backed down on their threats to build on that part of the beach. |
back up |
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bank on | To base your hopes on something / someone | I’m banking on you to help with the charity event. |
black out | To faint, lose consciousness | Jenna fell in the parking lot and blacked out. |
block off | To separate using a barrier. | The police blocked off the street after the explosion. |
blow up |
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boil down to | To be summarized as | It all boils down to who has more power. |
boot up | To start a computer by loading an operating system or program | You need to boot up your computer before you begin to work. |
break away | To separate from a crowd | One of the wolves broke away from his pack. |
break down |
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break into | To enter by force | Burglars broke into my car last night. |
break out | To start suddenly | Rioting broke out after the government raised the fuel prices again. |
break out of | To escape from a place by force | Several prisoners broke out of jail. |
break up | To come to an end (marriage, relationship) | She broke up with Daniel after dating him for five years. |
bring up | To raise (a child) | Sara is bringing up her children by herself. |
brush up on | To improve, refresh one’s knowledge of something | I must brush up on my French before going to Paris next month. |
bump into | To meet by chance or unexpectedly | I bumped into Adam at the bank. He says “hello”. |
burn out |
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call back | To return a phone call | Could please call back in ten minutes? |
call off | To cancel | The game was called off because of bad weather. |
calm down | To become more relaxed, less angry or upset | It took Kylie several hours to calm down after she saw the accident. |
carry on | To continue | The soldiers carried on walking in order to get to their post before dark. |
carry out |
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check in | To register at a hotel or airport | They said I must check in at least three hours before my flight. |
check out |
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clam up | To refuse to speak | When the police started asking questions, the suspect clammed up. |
clamp down on | To act strictly to prevent something | The local authorities have decided to clamp down on illegal parking in handicapped parking places. |
come across |
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come forward | To present oneself | Has the owner of the winning lotto ticket come forward? |
count on | To rely or depend on (for help) | You can count on me to keep your secret. |
cut down on | To reduce in number or size | I’ve decided to cut down on the amount of sweets I eat. |
cut out |
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deal with | To handle, take care of (problem, situation) | Catherine is not good at dealing with stress. |
die down | To calm down, become less strong | After the storm died down, we went outside to see the damage it had caused. |
do without | To manage without | She didn’t get a salary this month, so she’ll have to do without extra treats. |
drag on | To last longer than expected | The suspect’s trial dragged on longer than we had expected! |
draw up | To write (contract, agreement, document) | They drew up a contract and had me sign it. |
dress up | wear elegant clothes | Their wedding gave us a chance to dress up and get out of the house. |
drop in | To visit, usually on the way somewhere | Why don’t you drop in to see us on your way home? |
drop off |
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drop out | To leave school without finishing | Zack dropped out of college and joined the army. |
ease off | To reduce, become less severe or slow down (pain, traffic, work) | Traffic usually eases off about 7pm |
end in | To finish in a certain way; result in | Her marriage ended in divorce. |
end up | To finally reach a state, place or action | If you don’t improve your work habits, you’ll end up being fired. |
fall through | To fail; doesn’t happen | His plans to trek through South America fell through when he got sick. |
figure out | To understand, find the answer | He’s trying to figure out how to earn enough money to go on the trip to Spain. |
fill out | To complete (a form/an application) | Please fill out the enclosed form and return it as soon as possible. |
find out | To discover or obtain information | I’m going to to find out who’s responsible for the power cut. |
focus on | To concentrate on something | Tom had difficultty focusing on work the day before his holiday started. |
get along (with) | To be on good terms; work well with | It’s important to get along with your team supervisor. |
get at | To imply | What are you getting at? Do you think I’m to blame? |
get away | To escape | I think we should get away for the weekend. |
get by | To manage to cope or to survive | Students without jobs have a hard time getting by. |
get in | To enter | When did you get in last night? |
get into (+noun) | To enter | How did you get into your car without the keys? |
get off |
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get on | To board (bus, train, plane) | I’m trying to get on the flight to Brussels. |
get on with (something) | To continue to do; make progress | After they split up, she had a hard time getting on with her life. |
get on (well) with (somebody) | To have a good relationship with | He doesnt get on very well with the other members of the committee. |
get out | To leave | He had a hard time getting out of Newark because of the snow? |
get out of | To avoid doing something | Edna’s trying to get out of working the night shift. |
get over | To recover from (illness, disappointment) | Has she gotten over the flu? |
get over | To recover from (illness, disappointment) | Mary had the chickenpox last week but she got over it. |
get rid of | To eliminate | Please get rid of that old t-shirt. It’s so ragged. |
get together | To meet each other | Let’s get together for your birthday on Saturday. |
get up | To rise, leave bed | Will you please get up? You’ve got a class in 20 minutes. |
give in |
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give up | To stop doing something | Morris gave up drinking 10 years ago. |
go through | To experience | Andy went through a lot of pain after his mother died. |
grow up | To spend one’s childhood; develop; become an adult | He’s like Peter Pan. He never really grew up at all. |
hand in | To submit (report, homework) | Please hand in your papers before Friday. |
hand out | To distribute | Susan volunteered at the shelter where she handed out warm clothes. |
hang out | To spend time in a particular place or with a group of friends | Which pub does the team hang out at after the game? |
hang up | To end a phone conversation | If you hang up now, I’ll never speak to you again. |
hold on |
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hurry up | To be quick, act speedily | Hurry up and finish your lunch or we’ll miss the train. |
iron out | To resolve by discussion, eliminate differences | The two countries met at the conference to iron out their differences. |
join in | To participate | Yes David, you can join in the discussion any time you like. |
join up |
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keep on | To continue doing something | If you keep on making that noise I will get annoyed. |
keep up with | To stay at the same level as someone or something | I read the paper every day to keep up with the news. |
kick off | To begin, start | The rugby match kicked off at 3 o’clock. |
leave out | To omit, not mention | Please check your form again and make sure nothing is left out. |
let down | To disappoint | I feel so let down because they promised me a puppy but all I got was a doll. |
look after | To take care of | Andy can you look after your sister until I get back? |
look down on | To consider as inferior | She’s such a snob. She always looks down on anyone who is poor. |
look on | To be a spectator at an event | If you don’t want to take part in the game you can look on for now. |
look for | To try to find something | Harry went to the shop to look for a new computer. |
look forward to | To await or anticipate with pleasure | I’m looking forward to my birthday. It’s in two days time. |
look up to | To admire | I always looked up to my father. He was a great man. |
make fun of | To laugh at/ make jokes about | It’s not nice to make fun of people in wheelchairs. |
make up | To invent (excuse, story) | That’s a good excuse. Did you make up it up yourself? |
mix up | To mistake one thing or person for another | She had so many cats that she kept mixing up their names. |
move in | To arrive in a new home or office | Did you hear? Our new neighbors are moving in this afternoon. |
move out | To leave your home/office for another one. | When are you moving out? We need your office for the new guy. |
nod off | To fall asleep | You were so tired after the game that you nodded off on the couch. |
own up | To admit or confess something | Come on. Own up. We know you did it! |
pass away | To die | Your grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. |
pass out | To faint | He didn’t drink enough water so he passed out at the end of the race. |
pay back | To reimburse | I’ll pay you back as soon as I get the loan. |
put off | To postpone, arrange a later date | Don’t put off until tomorrow, what you can do today. |
put on | To turn on, switch on | It’s very dark in here. Please put on the light on. |
put out | To extinguish | The fire fighters were able to put out fire in ten minutes. |
put up | To accommodate, give somebody a bed | I can put you up until the weekend but then I’m going away. |
pick up | To collect somebody | I’ll pick you up at around 7:00 to take you to the airport. |
point out | To indicate/direct attention to something | As I already pointed out, there was a mistake in your calculation. |
rely on | To count on, depend on, trust | You can rely on me. I always arrive on time. |
rule out | To eliminate | Since he had a sound alibi, the police ruled him out as a suspect. |
run away | To escape from a place or suddenly leave | He ran away from home and joined the circus. |
run into | To meet by accident or unexpectedly (also: bump into) | I’m so glad I ran into you. I need to ask you something. |
run out of | To have no more of something. | We’ve run out of milk. I’ll just pop next door to borrow some. |
set off | To start a journey; | Let’s set off early to miss the rush hour traffic. |
set up | To start a business | They set up their own company when they were still in high school. |
shop around | To compare prices | Don’t buy that. Let’s shop around and see if we can find something cheaper. |
show off | To brag or want to be admired | He’s such a show off. He has to tell everybody about his new computer. |
show up | To appear/arrive | I don’t think she’ll show up tonight. Her daughter is sick. |
shut up (impolite) | To be silent, stop talking | Shut up, you’re spoiling the movie! |
sit down | To take a seat | I think you should sit down. It’s bad news. |
stand up | To rise from a sitting position | The whole stadium stood up for the national anthem. |
stick up for | To defend | My big brother always stuck up for me when I got into a fight. |
take after | To resemble, in appearance or character | Angie really takes after her grandmother. |
take care of | To look after | Please take care of my cat when I’m away. |
take off | To leave the ground | The plane will take off as soon as the fog lifts. |
take on | To hire or engage staff | I hear they’re taking on extra staff for this event. |
take out | To remove; extract | Please take out your mobile phones and turn them off. |
tell off | To reprimand/criticize severely | The coach told her off for not trying hard enough. |
think over | To consider | Take your time and think it over before you decide. |
try on | To wear something to see if it suits or fits | Go ahead, try it on and see if it fits? |
turn down | To refuse | I asked her out but she turned me down flat. |
use up | To finish a product (so that there’s none left) | Your parents used up all the coffee! |
watch out | To be careful | Watch out! There’s a dog in the road. |
wear out |
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work out |
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wipe off | To clean (board, table). | I’ll wash up if you wipe off the table. |