Los 100 phrasal verbs más utilizados

Phrasal verb

Significado

Ejemplo

Go on

Continuar

He WENT ON and ON talking and I was so bored.

Carry out

Realizar una tarea, llevar a cabo

The government is CARRYING OUT tests on growing genetically modified crops.  

Set up

Instalar, establecer, poner

The technician SET UP the computer network perfectly.

Pick up

Recoger

While you’re in town, can you PICK UP my trousers from the Dry Cleaner?

Go back

Volver a, empezar a hacer algo de nuevo.

We WENT BACK to work after the break.

Come back

Volver

I left work and CAME BACK home early.

Go out

Salir

He WENT OUT last night.

Find out

Descubrir.

I went to the library to FIND OUT all I could about the life and work of Joe Meek.

Come up

Aparecer.

I’ll be late home tonight because something’s COME UP at work has to be ready for tomorrow morning.

Make up

Maquillarse

She went to the bathroom to MAKE her face UP.

Take over

Hacerse cargo

She TOOK OVER responsibility for the project last month.

Come out

Aparecer.

The details of the scandal CAME OUT inthe press and she had to resign.

Come in

Entrar, pasar.

Please COME IN; the door is open.

Go down

Hundirse

The Titanic WENT DOWN after it hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage.

Work out

Resolver. / Encontrar la respuesta o solución.

Things were going wrong for them but fortunately it all WORKED OUT in the end. / I couldn’t WORK OUT all the answers to the crossword puzzle.

Set out

Partir (salir de viaje)

They SET OUT for London early the following day.

Take up

Empezar una nueva afición, pasatiempo, etc.

He TOOK UP squash as he felt he had to lose some weight.

Get back

Volver.

The train was held up so we didn’t GET BACK home until midnight.

Sit down

Sentarse

The nurse SAT me DOWN in a chair.

Turn out

Producir un resultado inesperado.

It looked as if we were going to fail, but it TURNED OUT well in the end.

Take on

Asumir una responsabilidad.

She TOOK ON the task of indexing the book.

Give up

Rendirse. Dejar de hacer algo que ha sido un hábito.

I GAVE UP taking sugar in tea and coffee to lose weight.

Get up

Levantarse, salir de la cama.

I GET UP at seven o’clock on weekdays, but I lie in till noon at the weekend.

Look up

Encontrar, localizar a un viejo amigo.

I LOOKED him UP when I went back to Cambridge.

Point out

Mostrar, señalar.

The tour guide POINTED OUT the historical monuments as the bus drove past them.

Phrasal verb

Significado

Ejemplo

Carry on

Continuar.

CARRY ON quietly with your work until the substitute teacher arrives.

Go up

Levantarse o subir.

The price of petrol has GONE UP sharply because of the increase in duty in the Government’s budget.

Get out

Salir de un lugar, escapar.

The dog GOT OUT because I left the door open.

Take out

Pedir prestado

I TOOK OUT all the books I needed for my essay from the library.

Come down

Llover / Viajar

Just look at the rain COMING DOWN! I’m not going out in that. / When you’re next in London, COME DOWN and see us.

Put down

Bajar

PUT the gun DOWN slowly and keep your hands where I can see them.

Put up

Subir  .

The government has PUT tuition fees for undergraduate students UP again.  

Turn up

Aumentar el volumen, la temperatura, etc. / Aparecer.

I TURNED the music UP full blast. / She didn’t TURN UP for class today.

Get on

Llevarse bien (hacerse amigos).

Lorena and her new roommate GOT ON as soon as they met.

Bring up

Mencionar, sacar el tema.

They didn’t BRING the subject UP at the meeting.

Bring in

Traer. / Generar.

In 2007, the British government BROUGHT IN a ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces. / The job BRINGS IN two thousand dollars a month.

Look back

Pensar en el pasado.

Old people often LOOK BACK on over their lives.

Look down

Menospreciar.

He LOOKS DOWN on  his colleagues because he thinks he’s better than they are.

Bring back

Hacer que alguien recuerde.

Visiting my old school BROUGHT BACK memories of when I was a pupil there.

Break down

Averiarse, romperse

The car BROKE DOWN on the way home.

Take off

Quitarse (algo de encima)

 It was hot, so I TOOK my jacket OFF.

Go off

Estropearse

The milk WENT OFF because I forgot to put it in the fridge.

Bring about

Hacer que algo suceda.

The changes to the law were BROUGHT ABOUT by the government because so many people were ignoring the old one.

Go in

Entrar.

The troops WENT IN at dawn.

Set off

Iniciar un viaje.

We SET OFF for work at seven-thirty.

Put out

Apagar algo.

He PUT OUT his cigarette before entering the building.

Look out

Tener cuidado.

LOOK OUT; you’re going to drop that!

Take back

Retractarse de una afirmación, admitir que algo estaba mal.

I had to TAKE BACK everything bad I’d said about them when I learned how they’d helped out.

Hold up

Sostener

The pillar is HOLDING UP the roof.

Get down

Descender, abandonar un vehículo.

The trained pulled in and we GOT DOWN.

Phrasal verb

Significado

Ejemplo

Hold out

Resistir.

When the enemy attacked, they HELD OUT for six weeks.

Put on

Ponerse algo de ropa.

I PUT my coat ON before we went out.

Bring out

Lanzar o publicar.

The band are BRINGING OUT a ne w CD in the autumn.

Move on

Cambiar de tema o de trabajo.

She MOVED ON to another company where the salary was considerably better.

Turn back

Volver

I TURNED BACK to my roots.

Put back

Postergar, posponer.

We will have to PUT BACK our meeting until next Tuesday.

Go round

Visitar

I WENT ROUND last night to see them.

Break up

Romper en muchos pedazos. / Terminar una relación.

The plate BROKE UP when he dropped it on the floor. / They had been going out for a couple of years before they BROKE UP.

Come along

Acompañar

May I COME ALONG on your trip tomorrow?

Turn round

Dar la vuelta.

If you TURN AROUND, you'll see a beautiful sunset.

Get in

Entrar en un edificio o lugar.

I borrowed her pass to GET IN.

Come round

Cambiar de opinión.

At first she didn’t like the idea, but she CAME ROUND to our way of thinking in the end.

Make out

Progresar

How are your children MAKING OUT at the new school?

Get off

Abandonar un autobús, un tren, etc.

We GOT OFF the bus and walked to my house.

Turn down

Rechazar.

They offered her the job, but she TURNED it DOWN.

Bring down

Derribar. / Hacer que algo sea más barato.

The vote of no-confidence BROUGHT the government DOWN. / The improvements in technology have BROUGHT the prices of computers DOWN considerably in recent months.

Come over

Ir a un sitio (mediante una invitación):

If you COME OVER this evening we'll watch a movie together.

Break out

Escaparse

The prisoner BROKE OUT of jail by digging a tunnel.

Go over

Repetir o explicar.

Could you GO OVER that point again, please?

Turn over

Darse la vuelta.

If you can't sleep TURN OVER onto your other side and try again.

Go through

Cruzar.  

They said I could GO THROUGH the exam room.

Hold on

Esperar.

Could you HOLD ON for a minute; she’llbe free in a moment.

Pick out

Elegir.

She PICKED OUT the ones she wanted to take and left the rest.

Sit back

Relajare, acostarse, sentarse.

I SAT BACK and enjoyed the show.

Blow away

Asombrarse (dejar “loco” a alguien).

The candidate BLEW her interviewer AWAY.

Phrasal verb

Significado

Ejemplo

Hold back

Contener.

The boys started fighting so teachers came to HOLD them BACK.

Put in

Poner, meter, insertar.

They had to PUT IN a whole new central heating system because the house was so cold.

Move in

Empezar a vivir en un lugar.

The house was empty for ages, but some new tenants MOVED IN a few weeks ago.

Look around

Buscar alrededor.

I've been LOOKING AROUND everywhere, but I can't find my reading glasses.

Take down

Retirar.

People TAKE DOWN their Christmas decorations twelve days after Christmas.

Put off

Posponer.

The concert’s been PUT OFF until next month because the singer’s got a throat infection.

Come about

Suceder, ocurrir.

The meeting CAME ABOUT because both sides were sick of fighting.

Go along

Aceptar una decisión o sugerencia.  Acompañar.

I didn’t really agree, but I WENT ALONG with the decision because I was in the minority.

Set about

Empezar a hacer algo

We SET ABOUT the cleaning and got it done before lunchtime.

Turn off

Apagar

Please, turn off the TV and go to study for the test.

Give in

Rendirse, aceptar la derrota.

They GAVE IN when the police surrounded the building.

Move out

Abandonar un lugar en el que vive o trabaja.

She’s tired of living there and is MOVING OUT.

Come through

Llegar (mensajes e información).

News is COMING THROUGH of a major accident on the M25, where freezing fog has been making driving conditions extremely dangerous.

Move back

Retroceder, regresar.

I will MOVE BACK home when my exams finish.

Break off

Romper una pieza de algo. / Terminar una relación.

She BROKE OFF a square of chocolate and gave it to her dog. / She BROKE OFF their engagement when she found out that he’d been unfaithful.

Get through

Soportar o afrontar una experiencia difícil.

We will have to be careful with our money to GET THROUGH the month.

Give out

Dejar de funcionar, por edad o uso excesivo.

I’d been having trouble with my laptop and it finally GAVE OUT at the weekend.

Come off

Tener éxito.

I was surprised when the plan CAME OFF so easily.

Take in

Entender, comprender, pillar una idea.

I'm not sure I TOOK it all IN but I understood most of it.

Give back

Devolver algo que te han prestado.

I GAVE the money BACK that she’d lent to me.

Set down

Dejar en un sitio

She SET DOWN the book on a nearby table.

Move up

Moverse para hacer espacio.

Could you MOVE UP and let me sit down?

Beat up

Apalear.

A group of youths BEAT UP Jaime.

Die for

Morirse de ganas por algo. Dar la vida por algo.

I love my children so much, I would DIE FOR them.

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