Common English Phrasal Verbs for Everyday Use

Phrasal verbs — combinations of a verb and a preposition or particle — are one of the most distinctive features of natural English. They can be tricky because the meaning is often not obvious from the individual words. But a small set of common ones appear constantly in everyday conversation.

Why phrasal verbs matter

Native English speakers use phrasal verbs all the time instead of their more formal equivalents. Understanding them is essential for real-world listening and reading.

Essential phrasal verbs to start with

Give up — to stop trying I wanted to give up, but I kept going.

Pick up — to learn informally, or to collect something I picked up some English watching TV. Can you pick up the kids from school?

Find out — to discover or learn information I need to find out what time the meeting starts.

Look up — to search for information Look it up in the dictionary.

Turn up / Turn down — to increase or decrease (volume, heat, etc.) Can you turn up the volume? He turned down the job offer.

Get on / Get along — to have a good relationship with someone Do you get on well with your colleagues?

Run into — to meet someone unexpectedly I ran into an old friend at the supermarket.

Come up with — to think of an idea She came up with a great solution.

A tip for learning them

Do not try to memorise every phrasal verb at once. Instead, learn them in context — from films, podcasts, and conversations — and note them down when you hear ones that repeat. The most common ones will stick naturally with enough exposure.