letSpeak Up!: Beginner-level phrasal verb

Beginner-level phrasal verb

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb + preposition or verb + adverb that creates a meaning different from the original verb.

1. Wake up – stop sleeping

I wake up at 6 AM every day.
She woke up late and missed the bus.
He wakes up early to exercise.

2. Get up – leave the bed

I get up as soon as my alarm rings.
She got up and made breakfast.
They get up late on Sundays.

3. Turn on – start a device

Can you turn on the TV?
He turned on the lights.
She turned on the radio to listen to music.

4. Turn off – stop a device

Please turn off the fan.
He forgot to turn off the stove.
I turned off my phone before sleeping.

5. Sit down – take a seat

Please sit down and relax.
He sat down next to me.
She sat down to read a book.

6. Stand up – rise from a sitting position

Please stand up when the teacher enters.
He stood up and left the room.
The students stood up to greet their teacher.

7. Look at – direct your eyes to something

Look at the sky! It’s so beautiful.
She looked at the picture for a long time.
He looked at me and smiled.

8. Pick up – lift something

Can you pick up that book?
She picked up the phone and answered it.
He picked up the baby gently.

9. Put down – place something on a surface

Put down your bags and rest.
He put down his coffee cup.
She put down her phone and listened.

10. Run out of – use all of something

We ran out of milk.
He ran out of money before the trip ended.
They ran out of gas on the highway.

11. Give up – stop trying

Don’t give up on your dreams.
He gave up learning French.
She gave up after many attempts.

12. Come in – enter a place

Please come in and have a seat.
He came in late for class.
She came in quietly so she wouldn’t wake anyone.

13. Go out – leave a place

Let’s go out for dinner tonight.
She went out to buy groceries.
He goes out every evening for a walk.

14. Bring back – return something

Please bring back my book.
He brought back souvenirs from Japan.
She brought back the jacket she borrowed.

15. Call back – return a phone call

I’ll call you back later.
He called back after missing my call.
She forgot to call back her friend.

16. Look for – try to find

I’m looking for my keys.
She looked for a job online.
He is looking for a new apartment.

17. Take off – remove something (clothes, shoes) or when an airplane leaves

She took off her jacket.
The plane took off at 10 AM.
He took off his shoes before entering the house.

18. Try on – test clothing before buying

She tried on a new dress.
He tried on different shoes.
I tried on the sunglasses but didn’t buy them.

19. Write down – record something on paper

Please write down your name.
He wrote down the address.
She wrote down her thoughts in a journal.

20. Turn up – increase volume

Can you turn up the music?
He turned up the heater because it was cold.
She turned up the radio to hear the news.

21. Turn down – decrease volume or refuse

Please turn down the TV.
He turned down the job offer.
She turned down the invitation.

22. Get on – enter a vehicle

She got on the bus at the next stop.
He got on his bike and rode away.
They got on the train just in time.

23. Get off – exit a vehicle

I got off at the wrong station.
She got off the bus quickly.
He got off his bike and walked.

24. Come back – return to a place

He will come back tomorrow.
She came back from her trip.
They came back late at night.

25. Go back – return to a previous place

I have to go back to work.
She went back to school after a break.
He went back home after shopping.

26. Check out – look at something or leave a place

Let’s check out that new café.
She checked out a book from the library.
He checked out of the hotel at noon.

27. Fill in – complete a form

Please fill in your name and address.
He filled in the application form.
She filled in the blanks in the worksheet.

28. Find out – discover information

I need to find out what time the train leaves.
She found out the truth yesterday.
He found out that he got the job.

29. Give back – return something

Can you give back my book?
She gave back the borrowed money.
He gave back the pen after using it.

30. Hang up – end a phone call

She hung up before I could say goodbye.
He hung up the phone angrily.
Don’t hang up! I have more to say.

31. Hold on – wait a moment

Please hold on while I get my notebook.
He held on to the railing for support.
She asked me to hold on for a minute.

32. Keep on – continue doing something

She keeps on talking in class.
He kept on running despite the rain.
I will keep on practicing until I improve.

33. Let in – allow someone to enter

Can you let in the cat?
She let in her friend through the gate.
The guard let in the visitors after checking their IDs.

34. Look after – take care of someone or something

She looks after her younger brother.
He looked after the dog while they were away.
I need to look after my grandmother today.

35. Look up – search for information

I looked up the word in the dictionary.
He looked up some facts online.
She looked up the nearest coffee shop.

36. Pass out – lose consciousness

He passed out from the heat.
She almost passed out during the exam.
The man passed out after drinking too much.

37. Put on – wear clothing or accessories

She put on a beautiful dress.
He put on his jacket before going outside.
I put on my glasses to read better.

38. Run away – leave a place quickly or escape

The dog ran away from home.
He ran away when he saw the police.
She wanted to run away from her problems.

39. Set up – arrange or establish something

They set up a meeting for next week.
She set up a new business.
He set up the Wi-Fi at home.

40. Show up – arrive at a place

He showed up late to the party.
She showed up unexpectedly.
They showed up for the meeting on time.

41. Take away – remove or subtract something

Please take away the dirty dishes.
The teacher took away his phone.
He took away five points from my score.

42. Take out – remove or bring something outside

Please take out the trash.
He took out his wallet to pay.
She took out her notebook to take notes.

43. Think over – consider something carefully

I need to think over my decision.
She thought over the offer before accepting.
He thought over what his friend said.

44. Try out – test something new

She tried out a new hairstyle.
He tried out the new game.
They tried out the restaurant last night.

45. Work out – exercise or solve a problem

He works out at the gym every morning.
She worked out the math problem.
We need to work out a plan.

46. Put up with – tolerate something

She can’t put up with the noise anymore.
He puts up with his annoying coworker.
I don’t know how they put up with the traffic.

47. Break down – stop working or become very upset

My car broke down on the way home.
She broke down in tears after hearing the news.
The machine broke down again.

48. Break up – end a relationship

They broke up after five years together.
She broke up with her boyfriend last month.
The band broke up due to personal issues.

49. Bring up – mention a topic or raise a child

She brought up an interesting point.
He was brought up by his grandparents.
I didn’t want to bring up the argument again.

50. Cut down on – reduce the amount of something

I need to cut down on sugar.
He cut down on his screen time.
She wants to cut down on fast food.