The short answer
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word such as up, out or off, and together they often mean something new: give up means stop trying, not give in an upward direction. With a separable phrasal verb, a pronoun goes in the middle: pick it up, never pick up it. Learn each phrasal verb in a full sentence, with its object, and group them by situation rather than in long alphabetical lists.
What a phrasal verb is
Merriam-Webster defines a phrasal verb as a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or adverb, or both, and works as a single verb whose meaning is different from the meanings of the separate words. Take off and look down on are its examples. Cambridge describes the core type in the same way: a main verb plus an adverb particle, such as bring in, go around, look up, put away and take off.
The key point is the meaning. You know what come and out mean, but that does not tell you that a book came out in 1997, which means it was published. Cambridge gives this example, and several more where the parts do not add up to the whole:
The book first came out in 1997.
came out = was published
The plane took off an hour late.
took off = left the ground and flew into the air
The lecture went on till 6:30.
went on = continued
It's difficult to make out what she's saying.
make out = hear or understand
They have called off the meeting.
called off = canceled
Cambridge lists the most common particles as around, at, away, down, in, off, on, out, over, round and up. These few small words combine with everyday verbs like get, take, put, come and go, so learning what they tend to add makes many new phrasal verbs easier to remember.
Three kinds, one name
Grammar books split these verbs into three groups. Phrasal verbs proper have a verb and an adverb particle (give up, turn off). Prepositional verbs have a verb and a preposition that always stay together (look after, deal with). Phrasal-prepositional verbs have three parts (look forward to, put up with). Cambridge notes that the name phrasal verb is often used for all three. The difference matters for one thing above all: where the object goes.
Why learners find them hard
The first problem is that the meaning is often impossible to guess. Cambridge points out that phrasal verbs often have meanings we cannot easily work out from their parts. Give up has nothing to do with giving, and put up with has nothing to do with putting: it means tolerate. As the British Council puts it, the particle often changes the meaning of the verb.
The second problem is that one phrasal verb can have several meanings. A plane takes off, you take off your coat, and a small business can take off when it suddenly becomes successful. Pick up can mean lift something, collect someone from a place, or learn a language without formal study. Only the context tells you which.
The third problem is that many languages say the same thing with a single verb. Where English says call off, find out or put off, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese use one word, often close to the formal English one: cancel, discover, postpone. Learners naturally reach for those single words, and their English becomes correct but stiff, while native speakers use phrasal verbs constantly; the British Council notes that they are very common, especially in informal contexts.
Separable and inseparable phrasal verbs
Once you know what a phrasal verb means, the next question is word order. Some phrasal verbs let the object move; others never allow anything between the verb and the particle. One simple rule prevents most mistakes here.
Separable: the object can move
With many phrasal verbs that take an object, the particle can come before or after it, as long as the object is a noun. Both versions are correct and mean the same thing. Cambridge adds that longer objects usually go after the particle.
They called off the meeting. / They called the meeting off.
both correct: the object is a noun
Can you turn down the music? / Can you turn the music down?
both correct
Please fill in this form. / Please fill this form in.
both correct
The pronoun rule: pick it up, not pick up it
When the object is a personal pronoun such as me, you, him, her, it, us or them, there is no choice. The pronoun always goes between the verb and the particle. Cambridge gives the examples hand them out (not hand out them) and lift you up (not lift up you), and the British Council says the same thing: with a pronoun, separable phrasal verbs must be separated.
Your phone is on the floor. Pick it up, please.
not: pick up it
They've called it off.
not: called off it
I made some copies. Would you like me to hand them out?
not: hand out them
If you don't know the word, look it up.
not: look up it
Say it out loud
Pick it up, turn it off, put them away, call it off. Pronoun in the middle, particle at the end. Repeat a few of these as fixed chunks until pick up it sounds as wrong to you as it does to a native speaker.
Inseparable: the verb and particle stay together
Other verbs never split, whatever the object. These are mostly the prepositional verbs: look after, get over, come across, deal with, depend on. The object always comes straight after the preposition, and that includes pronouns. Cambridge's example: could you look after my bag while I buy the tickets, never look my bag after.
Who looks after her when you are at work?
the pronoun her comes after the particle
It took him months to get over the flu.
get over = recover from
I came across an old photo of us.
came across = found by chance
I'll deal with it tomorrow.
deal with = handle
No object at all
Some phrasal verbs take no object. Cambridge lists examples like break down, set off, wake up, eat out and carry on. There is no object to place, but they still need to be learned as units: the taxi broke down on the way to the airport.
| Type | Examples | With a noun | With a pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separable | pick up, turn off, call off, fill in, look up | pick up the keys or pick the keys up | pick them up |
| Inseparable | look after, get over, come across, deal with | look after the kids | look after them |
| Three parts | look forward to, put up with, come up with | put up with the noise | put up with it |
| No object | break down, set off, wake up, eat out, carry on | The car broke down. | none |
A learner’s dictionary shows the pattern: pick something up means separable, look after somebody means inseparable.
Three-part phrasal verbs
Phrasal-prepositional verbs have a verb, a particle and a preposition: catch up with, come up with, get on with, look forward to, look up to, put up with, watch out for. Cambridge notes that the particle and the preposition cannot be separated, that many of these verbs are informal, and that their meaning is hard to guess from the parts. The object always comes right after the preposition: we all looked up to her, never looked her up to.
Who came up with that idea?
came up with = thought of, suggested
I can't put up with this noise any longer.
put up with = tolerate
Go ahead, I will catch up with you in a minute.
catch up with = reach, join
She was a wonderful teacher. We all looked up to her.
looked up to = respected, admired
We ran out of milk, so I went to the store.
ran out of = used all of something
We look forward to meeting you on the 22nd.
look forward to + -ing
A few of these verbs take two objects, one after the verb and one after the preposition. Cambridge's example is we just put the accident down to bad luck, meaning we thought bad luck was the cause. Take it out on someone works the same way: when you have a bad day and are unfair to the people around you, you take it out on them.
Look forward to + -ing
In look forward to, the word to is a preposition, not part of an infinitive, so it is followed by a noun or an -ing form: I look forward to hearing from you, I'm looking forward to the weekend. I look forward to hear from you is a classic mistake to watch for in emails.
Pick it up, never pick up it.
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Everyday phrasal verbs by situation
Start with the phrasal verbs you will hear and need in your own week, learned in the situations where they turn up. Each sentence below is a pattern you can reuse by changing a word or two.
At work
Let's set up a meeting for Thursday.
set up = arrange, organize (also: start a company)
Can we put off the call until next week?
put off = postpone
I'll look into the problem and get back to you.
look into = investigate; get back to = reply later
Please fill out this form before Friday.
fill out (US) or fill in (UK) = complete
She turned down the job offer.
turned down = refused
Could you hand in your report by five?
hand in = submit
Travel
We set off at six to avoid the traffic.
set off = start a journey
You can check in online the day before.
check in = register at a hotel or for a flight
We have to check out of the hotel by eleven.
check out = pay and leave
I will pick you up at the airport.
pick up = collect someone
Can you drop me off at the station?
drop off = take someone somewhere and leave them
The car broke down halfway there.
broke down = stopped working
At home
I usually get up at seven.
get up = get out of bed
Can you turn off the lights when you leave?
turn off = switch off; turn on = switch on
Put away your clothes, please.
put away = put back in its place
Let's clean up before the guests arrive.
clean up = make everything clean and tidy
We've run out of coffee.
run out of = have none left
Throw out the old magazines.
throw out or throw away = get rid of
Friends, family and relationships
I get along really well with my sister.
get along with (US) or get on with (UK) = have a good relationship
They broke up last year.
broke up = ended a relationship
He takes after his father.
takes after = looks or behaves like an older relative
Shall we eat out tonight?
eat out = eat in a restaurant
She brought up three children on her own.
brought up = raised
Don't let me down.
let down = disappoint
Many of these have more than one meaning. Bring up means raise a child, but also mention a topic: she brought up the question of money. When a familiar phrasal verb does not make sense in a sentence, look for its second meaning.
What the particle adds: up, off, out, on
Phrasal verbs are not completely random. The particles keep some of their basic meaning, and once you see the patterns, many phrasal verbs make sense. The Oxford Learner's Dictionaries list these meanings for the particles used as adverbs, and they are worth learning as ideas, not as rules: they help you guess and remember, but they do not explain every phrasal verb.
Up: higher, but also completely
Up often means towards a higher position or level: stand up, turn the volume up, prices go up. But it also means completely or to the end, as in Oxford's examples we ate all the food up and the stream has dried up. In the same way you use up the milk, clean up the kitchen and fill up the tank. Up can also mean finished or closed (finish up, do your coat up), into pieces (tear up a letter, divide up the work) and brought together (set up a committee, gather up your things).
Off: away, removed, not working
Off often means removed or separated: take your coat off, the label fell off. It also means not working (make sure the TV is off), leaving or moving away (he ran off, we set off early), canceled (the wedding is off, so they called it off) and away from work (I've got three days off next week).
Out: from inside, removed, none left
Out usually means away from the inside of something: get out of bed, take out the trash. It can mean removed (get a stain out), and it shows that something is gone: we're out of milk, so we ran out of milk. Many learners also find it useful to think of out as bringing something into the open: you find out the truth, work out an answer, point out a mistake.
On: continuing, wearing, working
On often means continuing, as in Oxford's examples he worked on without a break and read on. That is the idea behind go on, carry on and keep on. It also means wearing something (put your coat on, try it on) and connected or working (the lights were all on, turn on the radio).
| Particle | Common idea | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| up | higher; completely; finished; into pieces; together | turn up the volume, eat up, dry up, tear up, set up |
| off | removed; not working; leaving; canceled; away from work | take off a coat, turn off, set off, call off, a day off |
| out | from inside; removed; none left; into the open | take out, get a stain out, run out of, find out |
| on | continuing; wearing; working | go on, carry on, put on, turn on |
| down | lower; less | sit down, turn down the music, slow down |
These are tendencies, not rules: give up, make up and put up with cannot be worked out from their particles.
Phrasal verbs or a single formal word?
Most phrasal verbs have a one-word equivalent, often of Latin origin. Cambridge notes that phrasal verbs are often, but not always, less formal than a single word with the same meaning: we need to sort the problem out sounds more informal than we need to solve the problem, and put the stage up is less formal than erect the stage.
| Phrasal verb | Single word | Everyday example |
|---|---|---|
| find out | discover | I found out the shop closes at six. |
| put off | postpone | Let's put off the trip until spring. |
| call off | cancel | They called off the game because of the rain. |
| look into | investigate | We're looking into the problem. |
| carry on | continue | Carry on, I am listening. |
| turn down | refuse, reject | She turned down the offer. |
| set up | establish | They set up the company in 2020. |
Merriam-Webster defines find out as “to learn by effort, study, observation, or search: discover”, and gives postpone as a synonym of put off.
Neither choice is wrong. The single word suits formal writing, reports and official letters; the phrasal verb suits conversation, messages and most emails. The risk for learners is using only the formal words: “We must postpone the barbecue” is perfectly correct, but in a chat with friends it sounds like a press release.
British and American differences
Most phrasal verbs are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, but a few preferences differ. The Oxford Learner's Dictionaries give fill out a form as the main form, with fill in used especially in British English. Cambridge marks get on with someone as British, with get along with used in American English and also in British English. This article uses the American forms in its examples and mentions the British ones where they differ; both are correct, and you will meet both.
Common mistakes
These mistakes come up again and again, and each one breaks a rule from this article.
Wrong: Your keys are on the floor. Pick up them.
Right: Pick them up.
With a separable phrasal verb, the pronoun goes before the particle.
Wrong: The meeting is canceled: they called off it.
Right: They called it off.
The same rule: called off it is never possible.
Wrong: Could you look my bag after?
Right: Could you look after my bag?
Look after is inseparable: the object comes after the preposition.
Wrong: I look forward to hear from you.
Right: I look forward to hearing from you.
To is a preposition here, so it takes the -ing form.
Wrong: Who came up that idea?
Right: Who came up with that idea?
Three-part verbs need all three parts.
Wrong: We ran out milk.
Right: We ran out of milk.
Run out of takes of before the object.
How to learn phrasal verbs
Long alphabetical lists are a hard way to learn phrasal verbs, and lists of one verb with every particle (get up, get over, get on, get off, get by) can be confusing, because the expressions look alike and mean very different things. Learning them by situation or by particle works better: the travel verbs together, or the verbs where up means completely.
Always learn a phrasal verb in a full sentence, with its object. Do not write “pick up: collect”; write “I'll pick you up at the airport” and, if it helps, the pattern pick somebody up. The sentence shows you the meaning, the word order and the kind of object at the same time. When you meet a new phrasal verb, check a learner's dictionary such as Cambridge or Oxford: Cambridge points out that a good learner's dictionary tells you whether a phrasal verb needs an object or can be used without one.
Then notice them in films, series, podcasts and messages. Note the ones you hear with the sentence they came in, and use them yourself the same week. Using a phrasal verb once in your own sentence does more than reading it ten times.
Review little and often. At Alimun, flashcards with the words from your classes are ready after each lesson, so the phrasal verbs you met in class come back in their sentences, and exercises with instant feedback show you right away whether pick it up or pick up it is the one you reached for.
Most of all, speak: phrasal verbs belong to conversation. In a live class with a teacher and the same small group, you hear them used naturally every week and try them out yourself, and your teacher corrects your homework, so the mistakes in the table above stop being yours.
Test my knowledge
Quick quiz on this article. Pick an answer to see why.
Questions people ask
How many phrasal verbs do I need to know?
There is no fixed number. Start with the ones you hear and need in your own situations, at work, when you travel and at home, and add more as you meet them. A small set you can really use is worth more than a long list you only recognize.
Are phrasal verbs informal?
Many are, and they are very common in conversation. Cambridge notes that they are often, but not always, less formal than a single word with the same meaning. Formal writing tends to use the single word (postpone), conversation the phrasal verb (put off).
How do I know if a phrasal verb is separable?
Check a learner’s dictionary. A pattern like pick something up means the object can go in the middle; look after somebody means it cannot. With a pronoun, separable verbs must be separated: pick it up.
Is it fill in or fill out a form?
Both are correct. Fill out is the usual American form, and fill in is used especially in British English.
Why can I not guess what a phrasal verb means?
Because the meaning often comes from the combination, not from the parts: give up means stop trying. Particles do follow some patterns (up often means completely, off often means removed), but many phrasal verbs simply have to be learned in context.
Sources: Cambridge Grammar: phrasal verbs and multi-word verbs, Cambridge Dictionary: get on, British Council LearnEnglish: phrasal verbs, Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: up (adverb), Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: fill out, Merriam-Webster: phrasal verb.
