40 Everyday Phrasal Verbs You'll Actually Use

What is a phrasal verb?

A phrasal verb is a verb plus a particle (a preposition or adverb) that together create a new meaning — often one you can't guess from the individual words. Give up doesn't mean "give" plus "up"; it means to stop trying.

Daily routine

• wake up — I wake up at 7am.
• get up — Get up, we're late!
• turn on/off — Turn off the light.
• put on — Put on your coat.
• look for — I'm looking for my keys.

Communication

• bring up — to mention a topic: She brought up the deadline.
• point out — He pointed out a mistake.
• get across — to make understood: I couldn't get my point across.
• talk over — to discuss: Let's talk it over.
• speak up — Please speak up, I can't hear you.

Work and problems

• figure out — I finally figured out the answer.
• deal with — I'll deal with it tomorrow.
• come up with — She came up with a great idea.
• give up — Don't give up on your goal.
• carry on — Carry on with your work.
• sort out — We sorted out the problem.
• put off — to delay: Stop putting it off.
• catch up — I need to catch up on emails.

Social life

• hang out — We hung out at the park.
• get along — They get along well.
• look up to — to admire: I look up to my teacher.
• make up — to reconcile: They made up after the fight.
• run into — to meet by chance: I ran into an old friend.

Travel and movement

• check in/out — We checked in at 3pm.
• set off — to start a journey: We set off at dawn.
• drop off — I'll drop you off at the station.
• pick up — Can you pick me up later?
• get on/off — Get on the bus.

Study tip

Don't memorize a random list. Pick five phrasal verbs, use each one in three of your own sentences, then move to the next five. Repetition in context beats memorizing a table every time.