Phrasal Verbs for Everyday Situations

Top 20 Phrasal Verbs for Everyday Conversations

English Phrasal Verbs

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Phrasal verbs are an essential part of English.

They are commonly used in daily conversations and can make your English sound more natural.

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or more particles (like prepositions or adverbs).

The meaning of a phrasal verb is often different from the meaning of the words individually, which makes them tricky but important to learn.

Here are 20 useful phrasal verbs to help you in everyday conversations.

Each phrasal verb comes with an easy explanation and examples to show how they are used.

1. Wake up

Meaning: To stop sleeping. Example:

  • I wake up at 7 a.m. every day.
  • She woke up late because her alarm didn’t ring.

2. Get up

Meaning: To leave your bed after waking up. Example:

  • I don’t like to get up early on weekends.
  • He got up quickly when he heard the doorbell.

3. Turn on

Meaning: To start a machine, light, or electronic device. Example:

  • Can you turn on the TV?
  • She turned on the lights as it was getting dark.

4. Turn off

Meaning: To stop a machine, light, or electronic device. Example:

  • Please turn off your phone during the meeting.
  • He forgot to turn off the fan before leaving.

5. Go out

Meaning: To leave your home to go somewhere, especially for social activities. Example:

  • Let’s go out for dinner tonight.
  • They went out to watch a movie.

6. Come back

Meaning: To return to a place. Example:

  • When will you come back from your trip?
  • She came back home after work.

7. Look for

Meaning: To try to find something. Example:

  • I’m looking for my keys. Have you seen them?
  • He is looking for a new job.

8. Find out

Meaning: To discover or learn something. Example:

  • I found out that the meeting was canceled.
  • She found out about the surprise party.

9. Pick up

Meaning: To lift something or someone, or to collect someone in a vehicle. Example:

  • Can you pick up the kids from school?
  • He picked up the book and started reading.

10. Drop off

Meaning: To take someone or something to a place and leave them there. Example:

  • I’ll drop you off at the station.
  • She dropped off the package at the post office.

11. Put on

Meaning: To wear clothes or accessories. Example:

  • She put on her jacket before going outside.
  • Don’t forget to put on sunscreen at the beach.

12. Take off

Meaning: To remove clothes or accessories, or when a plane leaves the ground. Example:

  • He took off his shoes before entering the house.
  • The plane will take off in 30 minutes.

13. Sit down

Meaning: To take a seat. Example:

  • Please sit down and make yourself comfortable.
  • He sat down on the bench to rest.

14. Stand up

Meaning: To rise to your feet. Example:

  • Everyone stood up when the teacher entered the room.
  • She stood up to give her seat to an elderly person.

15. Run into

Meaning: To meet someone by chance. Example:

  • I ran into an old friend at the mall.
  • He ran into his boss at the restaurant.

16. Get along

Meaning: To have a good relationship with someone. Example:

  • They get along well with their neighbors.
  • I don’t get along with my cousin.

17. Hang out

Meaning: To spend time relaxing with someone. Example:

  • Do you want to hang out this weekend?
  • They usually hang out at the coffee shop after school.

18. Call off

Meaning: To cancel something. Example:

  • The manager called off the meeting.
  • They had to call off the wedding due to bad weather.

19. Give up

Meaning: To stop trying or to quit. Example:

  • Don’t give up on your dreams.
  • She gave up smoking last year.

20. Work out

Meaning: To exercise or to solve a problem. Example:

  • I work out at the gym every morning.
  • We need to work out a solution to this problem.

Why Learn Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs are used in casual conversations, so learning them can make your English sound more fluent and natural.

Understanding them also helps you communicate better, as many native speakers use phrasal verbs instead of more formal words.

Tips for Learning Phrasal Verbs

  1. Practice Daily: Use these phrasal verbs in sentences to remember them better.
  2. Focus on Context: Learn how they are used in different situations.
  3. Use Flashcards: Write the phrasal verb on one side and the meaning on the other.
  4. Watch and Listen: Watch English movies or listen to podcasts to hear phrasal verbs in real conversations.
  5. Make a List: Keep a list of phrasal verbs and review it regularly.

These 20 phrasal verbs are just the beginning.

The more you learn and practice, the easier it will be to use them naturally in your conversations.

Happy learning!

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