A2 phrasal verbs
A2The everyday ones: getting up, going out, putting things on and turning them off.
118 phrasal verbs
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All A2 phrasal verbs
The whole list in one place: what each verb means, how it takes an object, similar words and example sentences.
get up
No object · get up
leave your bed after sleeping
Palabras parecidas: rise
- I get up at seven on school days.
- She got up late on Sunday.
wake up
Separable · wake up / wake (someone) up
stop sleeping, or make someone stop sleeping
Palabras parecidas: awake
- The alarm helps me wake up early.
- Please wake me up at six.
sit down
No object · sit down
move into a sitting position
Palabras parecidas: take a seat
- Please sit down before the film starts.
- He sat down next to me.
stand up
No object · stand up
rise to your feet
Palabras parecidas: get to your feet
- Everyone should stand up when the teacher enters.
- She stood up to say hello.
lie down
No object · lie down
put your body flat on a bed or the floor
Palabras parecidas: rest
- I need to lie down for ten minutes.
- The dog lay down by the fire.
sit up
No object · sit up
move from lying down to sitting, or stay out of bed
Palabras parecidas: straighten up
- He sat up when the phone rang.
- Sit up straight at the table.
sleep in
No object · sleep in
sleep later than usual in the morning
Palabras parecidas: lie in
- On Saturdays we sleep in until nine.
- I slept in and missed the bus.
stay up
No object · stay up
not go to bed until late
Palabras parecidas: stay awake
- The children stayed up to watch the fireworks.
- I don't want to stay up late tonight.
calm down
Separable · calm down / calm (someone) down
become quiet and relaxed, or help someone do this
Palabras parecidas: relax
- Please calm down and tell me what happened.
- The music helps calm the baby down.
cheer up
Separable · cheer up / cheer (someone) up
become happier, or make someone happier
Palabras parecidas: brighten up
- Cheer up! The weather will be better tomorrow.
- I bought flowers to cheer her up.
grow up
No object · grow up
change from a child into an adult
Palabras parecidas: mature
- I grew up in a small town.
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
work out (exercise)
No object · work out
do physical exercise
Palabras parecidas: exercise, train
- I work out at the gym three times a week.
- She works out before breakfast.
put on
Separable · put (something) on
dress yourself in clothing
Palabras parecidas: wear
- Put on your coat because it is cold.
- She put her shoes on.
take off (clothes)
Separable · take (something) off
remove clothing from your body
Palabras parecidas: remove
- Take off your shoes at the door.
- He took his hat off.
try on
Separable · try (something) on
put clothes on to see if they fit
Palabras parecidas: test
- Can I try on these shoes?
- She tried three dresses on.
dress up
No object · dress up
wear nicer or special clothes
Palabras parecidas: smarten up
- We dressed up for the wedding.
- Children love to dress up as animals.
zip up
Separable · zip (something) up
close clothing or a bag with a zip
Palabras parecidas: fasten
- Zip up your jacket. It is windy.
- He zipped his bag up.
turn on
Separable · turn (something) on
start a machine or light
Palabras parecidas: switch on
- Can you turn on the lamp?
- She turned the radio on.
turn off
Separable · turn (something) off
stop a machine or light
Palabras parecidas: switch off
- Please turn off the TV before bed.
- He turned the light off.
switch on
Separable · switch (something) on
start a machine or light with a switch or button
Palabras parecidas: turn on
- Switch on the heater, please.
- I switched my phone on.
switch off
Separable · switch (something) off
stop a machine or light with a switch or button
Palabras parecidas: turn off
- Switch off your phones in the cinema.
- Remember to switch the computer off.
plug in
Separable · plug (something) in
connect a machine to the electricity
Palabras parecidas: connect
- Plug in the kettle, please.
- I plugged my laptop in.
turn up (volume)
Separable · turn (something) up
make a sound, light or heat stronger
Palabras parecidas: increase
- Can you turn up the music?
- He turned the heating up.
turn down (volume)
Separable · turn (something) down
make a sound, light or heat weaker
Palabras parecidas: lower
- Turn down the TV, the baby is asleep.
- She turned the oven down.
log in
No object · log in
enter a website or computer with your name and password
Palabras parecidas: sign in
- You need to log in to see your messages.
- I logged in from my phone.
log out
No object · log out
leave a website or computer account
Palabras parecidas: sign out
- Remember to log out on a shared computer.
- He logged out and closed the laptop.
sign up
No object · sign up
put your name down to join something
Palabras parecidas: register, enrol
- I want to sign up for the swimming class.
- She signed up for the newsletter.
come in
No object · come in
enter a room or building
Palabras parecidas: enter
- Please come in and close the door.
- He knocked and came in.
go out
No object · go out
leave home for something social
Palabras parecidas: leave the house
- We go out for pizza on Fridays.
- Do you want to go out tonight?
come back
No object · come back
return to a place
Palabras parecidas: return
- Come back before dinner.
- She came back from Spain last week.
go back
No object · go back
return to a place you were before
Palabras parecidas: return
- I want to go back to Rome next year.
- He went back to get his keys.
come over
No object · come over
visit someone at their home
Palabras parecidas: visit, drop by
- Why don't you come over for dinner?
- My cousin came over on Sunday.
go away
No object · go away
leave a place, or travel somewhere for a time
Palabras parecidas: leave
- They go away every August.
- Go away! I'm busy.
get back
No object · get back
return home or to a place
Palabras parecidas: return
- What time did you get back last night?
- We got back from the beach at six.
come along
No object · come along
go somewhere with someone
Palabras parecidas: join
- We are going to the park. Do you want to come along?
- She came along to the party.
hurry up
No object · hurry up
do something more quickly
Palabras parecidas: be quick
- Hurry up or we will miss the bus.
- I told him to hurry up.
slow down
No object · slow down
move or act less quickly
Palabras parecidas: reduce speed
- Slow down when you drive near a school.
- The bus slowed down at the corner.
speed up
No object · speed up
move or act more quickly
Palabras parecidas: accelerate
- The train began to speed up.
- Can you speed up? We are late.
run away
No object · run away
leave a place quickly because you are afraid or unhappy
Palabras parecidas: flee
- The cat ran away when it heard the noise.
- He ran away from home at sixteen.
hold on
No object · hold on · informal
wait for a short time
Palabras parecidas: wait
- Hold on, I will get my coat.
- Could you hold on a moment, please?
hang up
No object · hang up
end a phone call
Palabras parecidas: end the call
- He said goodbye and hung up.
- Don't hang up. I will explain.
call back
Separable · call (someone) back
phone someone again, or return a call
Palabras parecidas: ring back
- I will call you back in ten minutes.
- Can you call back later?
look out
No object · look out
be careful because there is danger
Palabras parecidas: watch out
- Look out! There is a car coming.
- Look out for ice on the road.
watch out
No object · watch out
pay attention because something may hurt you
Palabras parecidas: look out
- Watch out! The floor is wet.
- Watch out for the step.
get on
Inseparable · get on (a bus, train or plane)
go onto a bus, train, plane or bicycle
Palabras parecidas: board
- We got on the bus at the station.
- Please get on quickly.
get off
Inseparable · get off (a bus, train or plane)
leave a bus, train, plane or bicycle
Palabras parecidas: leave
- I get off at the next stop.
- She got off the train in Leeds.
get in
Inseparable · get in (a car or taxi)
enter a car or taxi
Palabras parecidas: enter
- Get in the car. It is raining.
- He got in the taxi.
get out
No object · get out / get out of (a car or taxi)
leave a car or taxi
Palabras parecidas: exit
- Everyone got out of the car.
- We get out here.
set off (journey)
No object · set off
begin a journey
Palabras parecidas: start out, leave
- We set off at six in the morning.
- They set off for the mountains.
take off (plane)
No object · take off
leave the ground, used for a plane
Palabras parecidas: lift off
- The plane takes off at ten.
- We waited while the plane took off.
turn around
No object · turn around
change direction to face the other way
Palabras parecidas: turn back
- Turn around and go back to the shop.
- He turned around when I called him.
check in
No object · check in
register at a hotel or airport
Palabras parecidas: register
- We check in at the hotel after lunch.
- You must check in two hours before the flight.
check out (hotel)
No object · check out
pay and leave a hotel
Palabras parecidas: leave
- We have to check out by eleven.
- She checked out and took a taxi.
pick up (collect)
Separable · pick (someone or something) up
go and collect someone or something
Palabras parecidas: collect, fetch
- I pick up my sister after class.
- Can you pick me up at the station?
drop off
Separable · drop (someone or something) off
take someone or something to a place and leave them there
Palabras parecidas: take
- Can you drop me off at the corner?
- He drops off his children at school.
see off
Separable · see (someone) off
go to the station or airport to say goodbye
Palabras parecidas: say goodbye to
- We went to the airport to see her off.
- My parents saw me off at the station.
stay in
No object · stay in
remain at home
Palabras parecidas: stay at home
- It is cold, so let's stay in tonight.
- She stayed in because she was ill.
eat out
No object · eat out
have a meal in a restaurant
Palabras parecidas: dine out
- We eat out once a week.
- Do you want to eat out tonight?
pick up (lift)
Separable · pick (something) up
lift something from a surface
Palabras parecidas: lift
- Please pick up your toys.
- He picked the pen up from the floor.
put down
Separable · put (something) down
place something you are holding on a surface
Palabras parecidas: place
- Put down the knife, please.
- She put the bag down and sat.
put away
Separable · put (something) away
put something in its usual place
Palabras parecidas: tidy away
- Put away your books before dinner.
- He put the plates away.
throw away
Separable · throw (something) away
put something in the bin because you do not want it
Palabras parecidas: bin, discard
- Don't throw away that box.
- I threw the old papers away.
throw out
Separable · throw (something) out
get rid of something you do not need
Palabras parecidas: get rid of
- We should throw out these old magazines.
- She threw the bread out.
give back
Separable · give (something) back
return something to its owner
Palabras parecidas: return
- Please give back the book tomorrow.
- He gave me my pen back.
bring back
Separable · bring (something) back
return with something
Palabras parecidas: return
- Can you bring back my umbrella?
- She brought some bread back from the shop.
take out
Separable · take (something) out
remove something from a place
Palabras parecidas: remove
- Take out your books and open page ten.
- He took the rubbish out.
take away
Separable · take (something) away
remove something, or buy food to eat elsewhere
Palabras parecidas: remove
- The waiter took away our plates.
- We ordered pizza to take away.
write down
Separable · write (something) down
record words on paper or a screen
Palabras parecidas: note down
- Write down the address before you leave.
- She wrote his number down.
cross out
Separable · cross (something) out
draw a line through a word
Palabras parecidas: strike out
- Cross out the wrong answer.
- He crossed his name out.
fill in
Separable · fill (something) in
write the missing information on a form
Palabras parecidas: complete
- Fill in your name at the top of the page.
- She filled the form in.
fill up
Separable · fill (something) up
make something completely full
Palabras parecidas: top up
- I need to fill up the car with petrol.
- He filled the glass up.
look for
Inseparable · look for (something or someone)
try to find something
Palabras parecidas: search for
- I look for my keys every morning.
- We are looking for a cheap hotel.
look up
Separable · look (something) up
search for information in a book or online
Palabras parecidas: check
- Look up the word in a dictionary.
- I looked the train times up.
look around
No object · look around
look at the things or places near you
Palabras parecidas: browse
- We looked around the old castle.
- Can I look around, or do you want to help me?
open up (shop)
No object · open up
unlock a shop or building so people can enter
Palabras parecidas: unlock
- The shop opens up at nine.
- He opened up the office early.
lock up
Separable · lock (something) up
lock all the doors of a building
Palabras parecidas: secure
- Please lock up when you leave.
- She locked the shop up and went home.
cut up
Separable · cut (something) up
cut something into small pieces
Palabras parecidas: chop
- Cut up the apples for the salad.
- He cut the paper up.
clean up
Separable · clean (something) up
make a place clean and tidy
Palabras parecidas: tidy up
- Let's clean up the kitchen.
- The children cleaned their room up.
tidy up
Separable · tidy (something) up
make a place neat by putting things away
Palabras parecidas: clear up
- Tidy up your room before your friends arrive.
- He tidied the desk up.
wipe up
Separable · wipe (something) up
clean a liquid from a surface with a cloth
Palabras parecidas: mop up
- Wipe up the milk, please.
- She wiped the water up.
move in
No object · move in
start living in a new home
Palabras parecidas: settle in
- We move in on Saturday.
- The new neighbours moved in last week.
move out
No object · move out
stop living in a home
Palabras parecidas: leave
- He moved out of his parents' house at twenty.
- They move out at the end of the month.
hand out
Separable · hand (something) out
give one to each person
Palabras parecidas: distribute
- The teacher handed out the tests.
- She handed the leaflets out in the street.
join in
No object · join in
take part in an activity with other people
Palabras parecidas: take part
- Come and join in! It's fun.
- Everyone joined in the song.
save up
No object · save up (for something)
keep money so that you can buy something later
Palabras parecidas: put money aside
- I am saving up for a new bike.
- They saved up for a year to go to Japan.
pay back
Separable · pay (someone) back
give money to someone you owe
Palabras parecidas: repay
- I will pay you back on Friday.
- He paid back the loan.
ask out
Separable · ask (someone) out
invite someone to go on a date
Palabras parecidas: invite
- He was too shy to ask her out.
- She asked him out to the cinema.
break down (car)
No object · break down
stop working, used for cars and machines
Palabras parecidas: stop working
- Our car broke down on the motorway.
- The lift broke down again.
fall down
No object · fall down
drop to the ground
Palabras parecidas: collapse
- The child fell down and hurt her knee.
- Be careful or you will fall down.
fall over
No object · fall over
lose your balance and drop to the ground
Palabras parecidas: trip
- He fell over on the ice.
- Mind the step or you will fall over.
knock down
Separable · knock (something) down
hit something so that it falls, or destroy a building
Palabras parecidas: demolish
- They are going to knock down the old school.
- The boy knocked the glass down.
keep out
No object · keep out
not go into a place
Palabras parecidas: stay away
- The sign says keep out.
- Please keep out of the kitchen.
go on (continue)
No object · go on
continue doing something
Palabras parecidas: continue, carry on
- Please go on with your story.
- The meeting went on for two hours.
carry on
No object · carry on
keep doing something without stopping
Palabras parecidas: continue, go on
- Carry on walking. The shop is near.
- She carried on reading.
come on
No object · come on · informal
an expression to ask someone to hurry or try
Palabras parecidas: hurry up
- Come on! We are late.
- Come on, you can do it!
look at
Inseparable · look at (something / someone)
turn your eyes towards something so that you see it
Palabras parecidas: watch, see
- Please look at the board.
- She looked at the photo and smiled.
listen to
Inseparable · listen to (something / someone)
pay attention to a sound or to what someone says
Palabras parecidas: hear, pay attention to
- I listen to music on the bus.
- Please listen to your teacher.
wait for
Inseparable · wait for (something / someone)
stay where you are until someone or something comes or happens
Palabras parecidas: await
- We are waiting for the train.
- Can you wait for me outside?
ask for
Inseparable · ask for (something)
say that you want something and request it
Palabras parecidas: request
- He asked for a glass of water.
- You can ask for help at the desk.
laugh at
Inseparable · laugh at (something / someone)
find something funny, or make fun of someone
Palabras parecidas: mock
- We all laughed at the joke.
- Don't laugh at him; he is trying his best.
belong to
Inseparable · belong to (someone / something)
be owned by someone, or be a member of a group
Palabras parecidas: be owned by
- This bag belongs to my sister.
- He belongs to a chess club.
depend on
Inseparable · depend on (something / someone)
be decided by something else, or need someone's help
Palabras parecidas: rely on
- The price depends on the size.
- Young children depend on their parents.
agree with
Inseparable · agree with (someone / something)
have the same opinion as someone
Palabras parecidas: share the view of
- I agree with you completely.
- She doesn't agree with the new rule.
believe in
Inseparable · believe in (something / someone)
feel sure that something or someone is real, good or right
Palabras parecidas: trust
- Do you believe in ghosts?
- Her parents always believed in her.
apply for
Inseparable · apply for (something)
ask officially for a job, a place or a document
Palabras parecidas: put in for
- She applied for a job at the bank.
- You must apply for a visa.
come from
Inseparable · come from (somewhere)
have your home or origin in a place
Palabras parecidas: originate from
- Where do you come from?
- These apples come from Spain.
go up
No object · go up
become higher in price, number or level
Palabras parecidas: rise, increase
- Prices go up every year.
- The temperature went up by five degrees.
go down
No object · go down
become lower in price, number or level
Palabras parecidas: fall, decrease
- The price of petrol went down last week.
- My fever has gone down.
put back
Separable · put (something) back
return something to the place where it was
Palabras parecidas: return, replace
- Please put the book back on the shelf.
- He put back the milk in the fridge.
pay for
Inseparable · pay for (something)
give money in exchange for something
Palabras parecidas: buy
- I will pay for the tickets.
- Who paid for dinner?
think about
Inseparable · think about (something / someone)
have ideas or thoughts in your mind about something
Palabras parecidas: consider
- I often think about my old school.
- Think about it before you decide.
worry about
Inseparable · worry about (something / someone)
feel anxious because of a problem or a person
Palabras parecidas: be anxious about
- Don't worry about the exam.
- She worries about her son at night.
search for
Inseparable · search for (something / someone)
look carefully in order to find something
Palabras parecidas: hunt for
- I searched for my keys everywhere.
- Rescuers are searching for the missing boy.
care about
Inseparable · care about (something / someone)
feel that something or someone is important to you
Palabras parecidas: value
- She really cares about her students.
- I don't care about the score.
hear from
Inseparable · hear from (someone)
receive a letter, call or message from someone
Palabras parecidas: get news from
- I haven't heard from Tom for weeks.
- We hope to hear from you soon.
get along
No object · get along (with someone)
be on good terms with another person
Palabras parecidas: be friends
- My brother and I get along very well.
- Do you get along with your neighbours?
get to
Inseparable · get to (a place)
arrive at a place
Palabras parecidas: reach, arrive at
- What time did you get to the station?
- I'll call you when I get to work.
take along
Separable · take (someone / something) along
bring someone or something with you when you go somewhere
Palabras parecidas: bring
- Don't forget to take an umbrella along.
- She took her little sister along to the park.