Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with a small word like up, out, on or off that together create a new meaning, such as “give up” (stop trying), “find out” (discover) or “run out of” (have none left). They’re everywhere in everyday spoken English, so learning the 30 most common ones, in example sentences and by topic, will make you sound much more natural. Learn them in context, use three new ones in conversation each week, and don’t worry about memorising long lists.
- Native speakers use phrasal verbs constantly, especially in casual speech.
- Learn them in full sentences, grouped by situation.
- Some phrasal verbs can be split (“turn it off”), others can’t (“look after her”).
- Three new phrasal verbs a week, used in real conversation, beats memorising 100.
- Practise them in conversation with the free Lumi AI English Robot.
Why your English sounds “too formal”
Imagine a friendly chat with a colleague from abroad. You say: “I will postpone the meeting, because I have to investigate the problem, and I must not abandon the project.” Every word is correct. It also sounds like a court document.
Your colleague would naturally say: “I’ll put off the meeting, because I need to look into the problem, and I can’t give up on the project.” Same meaning, but relaxed and friendly. That’s the power of phrasal verbs. They make spoken English sound like a conversation instead of an essay.
30 common phrasal verbs by situation
Daily life
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wake up | stop sleeping | I wake up at six every day. |
| get up | leave your bed | I woke up early but got up late. |
| turn on / turn off | start or stop a device | Can you turn off the fan? |
| pick up | collect someone or something | I’ll pick you up at seven. |
| run out of | have none left | We’ve run out of rice. |
| throw away | put in the bin | Don’t throw away that box. |
| look after | take care of | She looks after her grandmother. |
| eat out | eat at a restaurant | Let’s eat out on Friday. |
| clean up | make tidy | We cleaned up after the party. |
| hang out | spend free time | We hang out at the tea stall after class. |
Work and study
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| look into | investigate | I’ll look into the problem today. |
| find out | discover | Can you find out the delivery date? |
| put off | postpone | They put off the meeting until Monday. |
| carry on | continue | Carry on with your work. |
| fill in / fill out | complete a form | Please fill in this application. |
| set up | start or arrange | We set up a new office in Sylhet. |
| follow up | check again later | I’ll follow up with the client tomorrow. |
| come up with | think of an idea | She came up with a great plan. |
| hand in | submit | Hand in your assignment by Thursday. |
| catch up | reach the same level / update | Let’s catch up after lunch. |
Feelings and relationships
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| give up | stop trying | Don’t give up on your English. |
| get along with | have a good relationship | I get along with my roommates. |
| calm down | become relaxed | Calm down, we still have time. |
| cheer up | become happier | Cheer up, it’s only one exam. |
| look forward to | be excited about something in future | I’m looking forward to Eid. |
| break up | end a relationship | They broke up last year. |
| let down | disappoint | I don’t want to let my parents down. |
| count on | rely on | You can count on me. |
| figure out | understand or solve | I finally figured out the problem. |
| get over | recover from | He got over the flu quickly. |
Separable or not?
How to learn phrasal verbs that stick
- Pick three per weekChoose ones you’ll actually need.
- Write personal sentencesTwo or three sentences about your own life for each.
- Say them aloudUse them when describing your day.
- Use them in conversationAsk your speaking partner or AI tutor to create questions that make you use them.
- Notice themListen for them in videos, podcasts and series.
Practise them now
Open the free Lumi AI English Robot and say: “Ask me questions that make me use: look into, put off, come up with.” For more prompts, see 20 AI speaking prompts, and build daily habits with our 15-minute routine.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word such as up, out, on or off that together create a new meaning, for example “give up” means stop trying.
How many phrasal verbs should I learn?
Start with the 30 most common ones used in daily life and work, learning about three per week and using them in conversation.
What is a separable phrasal verb?
A separable phrasal verb can have its object in the middle, as in “turn the light off”. With a pronoun, the pronoun must go in the middle: “turn it off”.
Are phrasal verbs informal?
Many are common in everyday and spoken English. In formal writing, a single-word verb such as “postpone” instead of “put off” is sometimes preferred.
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