“Can you pick me up at 7?” “I need to look into this issue.” “They called off the meeting.”

If you’re learning English, phrasal verbs like these probably drive you absolutely crazy. You understand “pick,” “up,” “look,” “into,” “call,” and “off” individually, but when they combine, suddenly you have no idea what’s happening. The meaning seems to have nothing to do with the individual words.

And just when you think you’ve mastered one phrasal verb, you discover it has five different meanings depending on context. “Pick up” could mean collect someone, learn a skill, answer a phone, notice something, or improve. How is anyone supposed to keep track of this chaos?

Here’s the frustrating truth: phrasal verbs are everywhere in English. Native speakers use them constantly in casual conversation. You can’t understand movies, podcasts, or everyday chat without them. And there’s no shortcut—you can’t just ignore them and hope for the best.

But here’s the encouraging truth: you don’t need to memorize hundreds of phrasal verbs. Most conversations rely on the same 30-50 phrasal verbs used repeatedly in predictable ways. Master these core ones, and you’ll understand and participate in English conversations far more naturally.

Today, we’re tackling the 30 most common phrasal verbs you’ll actually hear and use. For each one, I’ll explain what it means, show you real examples, and help you understand the logic behind it (when there is any). By the end, phrasal verbs won’t feel quite so random and confusing.

Let’s break this down.

What Exactly Are Phrasal Verbs?

A phrasal verb combines a verb with one or two particles (prepositions or adverbs) to create a completely new meaning.

Basic verb: look (to direct your eyes at something)
Phrasal verb: look after (to take care of someone)

The meaning of “look after” has nothing to do with literally looking in a direction behind something. It’s a completely new concept.

Types of phrasal verbs:

Separable: You can put the object between the verb and particle

• “Turn on the TV” = “Turn the TV on” ✓

Inseparable: The verb and particle must stay together

• “Look after the kids” ✓
• “Look the kids after” ✗

With pronouns, separable phrasal verbs MUST separate:

• “Turn it on” ✓
• “Turn on it” ✗

Unfortunately, there’s no easy rule for which phrasal verbs are separable. You have to learn each one. But I’ll mark them for you.

The 30 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

1. Pick up (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Collect someone/something

• Can you pick me up at the airport? (collect me)
• I need to pick up my dry cleaning. (collect it)

b) Learn something

• She picked up Spanish really quickly. (learned it)
• I picked up some cooking tips from that show. (learned them)

c) Answer the phone

• I called but nobody picked up. (answered)

d) Improve

• Business is picking up. (improving)

Common mistakes: “Pick me up” is NOT “pick up me” with pronouns.

2. Look after (Inseparable)

Meaning: Take care of

Examples:

• Can you look after my cat while I’m away?
• She looks after her elderly parents.
• You should look after yourself better.

Similar: Take care of (exactly the same meaning)

3. Give up (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Stop trying; quit

• Don’t give up! Keep trying.
• I gave up smoking last year. (quit)

b) Surrender; stop resisting

• The suspect gave up after the police surrounded him.

Examples:

• I’ve given up trying to understand this software.
• Never give up on your dreams.

4. Find out (Separable)

Meaning: Discover information; learn something

Examples:

• I need to find out what time the meeting starts.
• She found out that he’d been lying to her.
• Let me find that out for you. (discover that information)

Common usage: “Find out” is used when you discover information, not physical objects.

5. Turn on / Turn off (Separable)

Meaning: Start a device / Stop a device

Examples:

• Can you turn on the lights? = Can you turn the lights on?
• Please turn off your phone. = Please turn your phone off.
• I forgot to turn the oven off.

With pronouns:

• Turn it on. ✓
• Turn on it. ✗

6. Put on / Take off (Separable)

Meaning: Wear something / Remove clothing

Examples:

• It’s cold—put on a jacket. = Put a jacket on.
• Take off your shoes before entering. = Take your shoes off.
• She put on her makeup.
• He took off his tie after work.

With pronouns:

• Put it on. ✓
• Take them off. ✓

7. Get up (Inseparable)

Meaning: Rise from bed; stand

Examples:

• I get up at 6 AM every day. (wake up and leave bed)
• Get up! We’re going to be late.
• What time did you get up this morning?

Note: “Get up” is about the action of rising. “Wake up” is about stopping sleeping (you can wake up but stay in bed).

8. Sit down / Stand up (Inseparable)

Meaning: Lower yourself to a seated position / Rise to standing

Examples:

• Please sit down and make yourself comfortable.
• Everyone stood up when the judge entered.
• Sit down! You’re blocking my view.

Common commands: “Sit down” and “stand up” are often used as gentle commands.

9. Look for (Inseparable)

Meaning: Search for; try to find

Examples:

• I’m looking for my keys. Have you seen them?
• She’s looking for a new job.
• What are you looking for?

Similar to: Search for

Note: “Look for” is inseparable—you can’t say “look my keys for.”

10. Run into (Inseparable)

Meaning: Meet unexpectedly; encounter by chance

Examples:

• I ran into an old friend at the mall yesterday.
• We might run into some problems with this approach.
• I hope I don’t run into my ex at the party.

Similar to: Bump into (same meaning)

11. Come across (Inseparable)

Meaning: Find by chance; encounter unexpectedly

Examples:

• I came across this interesting article while browsing online.
• Have you ever come across this problem before?
• She came across as very confident. (seemed; gave the impression of)

Note: Can also mean “seem” or “appear to others”

12. Go on (Inseparable)

Meanings:

a) Continue

• Please go on. I’m listening. (continue speaking)
• The meeting went on for three hours. (continued)

b) Happen

• What’s going on here? (happening)
• A lot has been going on lately. (happening)

Common expressions: “What’s going on?” = “What’s happening?”

13. Figure out (Separable)

Meaning: Solve; understand; find an answer

Examples:

• I can’t figure out how to use this app.
• She figured out the password.
• Let me figure it out. ✓ (not “figure out it”)

Similar to: Work out (British English especially)

14. Hang out (Inseparable)

Meaning: Spend time casually; socialize

Examples:

• Let’s hang out this weekend.
• Where do you usually hang out?
• I hung out with friends last night.

Informal: Very casual expression, used mostly with friends

15. Bring up (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Mention; introduce a topic

• Don’t bring up politics at dinner. (mention it)
• She brought up an interesting point. (mentioned it)

b) Raise a child

• She was brought up in a small town. (raised there)

With pronouns:

• Bring it up at the meeting. ✓

16. Carry on (Inseparable)

Meaning: Continue doing something

Examples:

• Sorry for the interruption. Please carry on. (continue)
• She carried on working despite the noise. (continued)
• Carry on with what you were doing.

British English: Very common in British English

17. Break down (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Stop functioning (machines)

• My car broke down on the highway.
• The printer broke down again.

b) Analyze; divide into parts

• Let me break down the costs for you. (analyze in detail)
• Break it down into smaller steps. (divide it)

c) Cry; lose emotional control

• She broke down in tears when she heard the news.

18. Call off (Separable)

Meaning: Cancel

Examples:

• They called off the wedding. = They called the wedding off.
• The match was called off due to rain.
• We had to call it off. ✓ (not “call off it”)

Similar to: Cancel

19. Come up (Inseparable)

Meanings:

a) Arise; appear

• Something came up, so I can’t make it. (something happened)
• His name came up in the conversation. (was mentioned)

b) Approach

• A stranger came up to me and asked for directions.

Common usage: “Something came up” = an unexpected event occurred

20. Get over (Inseparable)

Meanings:

a) Recover from (illness, disappointment)

• I can’t get over this cold. (recover from)
• He never got over his first love. (emotionally recovered)

b) Accept; come to terms with

• Get over it! It’s not that big a deal. (accept the situation)

Examples:

• She’s still getting over the flu.
• You need to get over your fear of flying.

21. Look up (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Search for information

• I need to look up this word in the dictionary.
• Look it up online. ✓ (not “look up it”)

b) Visit someone

• Look me up if you’re ever in town. (visit me)

c) Improve

• Things are looking up. (improving)

22. Make up (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Invent; fabricate

• He made up an excuse for being late. (invented)
• Don’t make up stories. (invent false stories)

b) Reconcile after a fight

• They had a fight but made up the next day. (reconciled)

c) Compose; constitute

• Women make up 60% of the students. (constitute)

23. Put off (Separable)

Meaning: Postpone; delay

Examples:

• Let’s put off the meeting until next week. = Let’s put the meeting off.
• Don’t put it off any longer. ✓
• Stop putting off your homework.

Similar to: Postpone, delay

24. Set up (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Arrange; organize

• Can you set up a meeting with the client? (arrange)
• I’ll set it up for Tuesday. ✓

b) Install; establish

• We need to set up the new computer. (install)
• They set up a company last year. (established)

25. Show up (Inseparable)

Meaning: Arrive; appear

Examples:

• What time should I show up? (arrive)
• Half the students didn’t show up for class. (didn’t appear)
• He showed up unexpectedly.

Similar to: Turn up (British English)

26. Take care of (Inseparable)

Meaning: Look after; handle

Examples:

• I’ll take care of the bill. (handle it; pay it)
• Can you take care of this problem? (handle it)
• She takes care of her younger siblings. (looks after them)

Same as: Look after

27. Work out (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Exercise

• I work out at the gym three times a week. (exercise)

b) Succeed; have a good result

• I hope everything works out for you. (succeeds; goes well)
• Things didn’t work out between us. (didn’t succeed)

c) Calculate; solve

• I can’t work out this math problem. (solve)
• Work it out. ✓

28. Check out (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Leave a hotel

• We need to check out by 11 AM. (leave the hotel)

b) Look at; examine (informal)

• Check out this video! (look at this)
• Check it out. ✓

c) Borrow from a library

• I checked out three books. (borrowed)

29. Fill in / Fill out (Separable)

Meaning: Complete a form

Examples:

• Please fill in this form. (British English)
• Please fill out this form. (American English)
• Fill it in/out and return it to me. ✓

Note: “Fill in” and “fill out” mean exactly the same thing with forms.

30. Drop off (Separable)

Meanings:

a) Leave someone/something at a place

• Can you drop me off at the station? (leave me there)
• I’ll drop off the package this afternoon. (deliver it)

b) Decrease

• Sales dropped off in the winter months. (decreased)

With pronouns:

• Drop it off at my office. ✓

How to Learn Phrasal Verbs Effectively

Memorizing definitions doesn’t work well with phrasal verbs. Here’s what does:

Method 1: Learn in Context

Don’t memorize “look after = take care of.” Instead, memorize: “Can you look after my dog this weekend?”

The sentence sticks in your brain better than the definition.

Method 2: Group by Verb

Learn all the common phrasal verbs with “get,” then all with “take,” then “put,” etc.

Phrasal verbs with “get”:

• get up (rise)
• get in (enter)
• get out (leave)
• get over (recover)
• get along (have a good relationship)

This helps you see patterns and differences.

Method 3: Focus on the Most Common

Don’t try to learn every phrasal verb. Start with these 30, then gradually add more as you encounter them in real contexts.

Method 4: Use Them in Sentences

Write 3 original sentences using each new phrasal verb. Make them personal and relevant to your life.

Example for “run into”:

• I ran into my teacher at the supermarket yesterday.
• I hope I don’t run into traffic on my way to work.
• I often run into old friends in my neighborhood.

Method 5: Pay Attention to Separable vs. Inseparable

This affects how you use them with pronouns. Mark each phrasal verb as (S) or (I) in your notes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Wrong particle

Wrong: I need to look at my kids. (means just observe them)
Right: I need to look after my kids. (means take care of them)

Mistake 2: Putting pronouns in the wrong place

Wrong: Pick up it.
Right: Pick it up.

Wrong: I ran my boss into.
Right: I ran into my boss.

Mistake 3: Using them in formal writing

Phrasal verbs are generally informal. In academic or business writing, use single-word alternatives:

Instead of: find out → discover
Instead of: put off → postpone
Instead of: give up → abandon

Mistake 4: Literal interpretation

“Break down” doesn’t mean physically breaking something into pieces—it means malfunction or analyze.

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verb. Answers below.

1. I _______ at 7 AM every morning. (rise from bed)
2. Can you _______ the TV? I want to watch the news. (start it)
3. I _______ an old friend at the coffee shop yesterday. (met by chance)
4. Don’t _______! Keep trying! (quit)
5. Let me _______ that word in the dictionary. (search for)
6. The meeting was _______ due to bad weather. (canceled)
7. I need to _______ this form before submitting it. (complete)
8. She’s still trying to _______ her ex-boyfriend. (emotionally recover from)
9. Please _______ your shoes before entering. (remove)
10. I can’t _______ how to solve this problem. (understand/solve)

Answers:

1. get up
2. turn on
3. ran into
4. give up
5. look up
6. called off
7. fill in/fill out
8. get over
9. take off
10. figure out

Your Learning Plan

Week 1: Learn 10 phrasal verbs. Create 3 original sentences for each.

Week 2: Learn 10 more. Review week 1’s verbs. Try using them in conversation or writing.

Week 3: Learn the final 10. Review all 30. Notice them when watching shows or reading.

Week 4: Active usage. Deliberately use at least 5 different phrasal verbs each day in speech or writing.

Ongoing: When you encounter a new phrasal verb, add it to your collection. Review your list weekly.

Why Phrasal Verbs Matter

Native speakers use phrasal verbs constantly because they’re:

• Shorter than formal alternatives
• More conversational and natural
• Essential for understanding casual speech
• Common in movies, TV, podcasts, and everyday conversation

You might be able to communicate without them using formal vocabulary, but you’ll sound stiff and unnatural. And more importantly, you won’t understand native speakers who use them constantly.

Mastering these 30 phrasal verbs gives you access to natural, fluent English conversation.

Moving Forward

Don’t try to memorize all 30 in one sitting. Learn them gradually, in context, through examples that matter to you.

Start with the 5-10 that seem most useful for your daily life. Practice those until they feel automatic. Then add more.

Phrasal verbs stop being confusing when you stop treating them as isolated grammar points and start seeing them as natural chunks of language that native speakers use to communicate efficiently.

You’ve got this. One phrasal verb at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are phrasal verbs more common in British or American English?

Both use them extensively, though some specific phrasal verbs are more common in one variety (e.g., “turn up” is more British). The ones in this article are universal.

Can I use phrasal verbs in formal writing?

Generally avoid them in very formal contexts (academic papers, official reports). Use single-word alternatives instead. However, they’re fine in emails and most business communication.

How many phrasal verbs do I need to know?

The 30 in this article cover most daily conversation. Fluent speakers know 100-200, but you don’t need that many to communicate effectively.

Is there any logic to phrasal verb meanings?

Sometimes. “Pick up” (lift something) makes sense. But many are idiomatic—their meanings aren’t predictable from the individual words. You just have to learn them.

What’s the difference between separable and inseparable?

Separable phrasal verbs can have the object between the verb and particle (“turn the TV on”). Inseparable ones can’t (“look after the kids,” not “look the kids after”). With pronouns, separable ones MUST separate (“turn it on”).