A continuación, tenemos una lista de los phrasal verbs más comunes.
| Phrasal Verb l | Ejemplo |
|---|
add up
sumar | The waiter added up the bill. |
ask (someone) out
invitar a salir | Steve asked me out last night. |
back off
retirarse | I would back off if I were you, I don’t think she likes you. |
back (someone) up
apoyar, respaldar | You were with me, you can back me up, right? |
back up (something)
hacer un copia | Don’t forget to back up all of your files. |
break down (something)
dejar de trabajar, estropearse, averiarse | Our car broke down while we were driving to the supermarket. |
break down (someone)
venirse abajo | It was the most stressful week. By Friday I broke down and cried. |
break (something) down
derribar, desmontar | We had to break down the stage to prepare for the next event. |
blow up
explotar | They blew up a building, but luckily nobody was hurt. |
break into
forzando la entrada para robar | Someone broke into my apartment while I was on holidays. |
break up
separarse, romperse | I can’t believe it, Dan broke up with me last night! |
bring (somebody) up
criar y educar | I was brought up by my grandmother. |
bring (something) up
sacar, mencionar | I hate him. Don’t ever bring his name up again! |
call back
volver a llamar | He was busy when I called, but he said he would call me back tonight. |
call off
suspender, cancelar | Did you hear? Brenda called off the wedding! |
call on
preguntar | The teacher called on me in class to answer the question. |
calm down
tranquilizarse, calmarse | Calm down, everything is going to be ok. |
carry on
seguir haciendo algo | Carry on! You are doing very well. |
carry on
seguir haciendo algo | She must have loved Spain, she was carrying on about it for days after she returned. |
catch up
ponerse al día | Call me, we need to catch up! |
check in
registrarse (en) | What time can we check in to the hotel? |
check out
pagar y marcharse | They checked out on Monday. |
check out
quedarse con, mirar | He’s checking you out! / Let’s check out that new bar. |
check up
hacer averiguaciones | I know you have been sick, so I was calling to check up on you. |
cheer up
animar(se) a alguien | Sarah is depressed; we have to cheer her up. |
close down
cerrar o terminar una actividad | The factory was closed down last month. |
come back
regresar, volver | We are coming back next week. |
come by
pasarse por | Come by my office and we can talk. |
come down with
enfermarse | My son came down with the flu last week. |
come from
originarse | His love of music comes from his father. |
count on
contar con | Don’t worry, you can count on me! |
cut back on
bajar | With the crisis we have had to cut back on expenses. |
cut off
interrumpir | I don’t mean to cut you off, but I have to go now. |
cut out
parar de hacer algo | Cut it out! Leave your sister alone. |
drop by/in
pasar | I was just dropping by/in to say “hi”. |
drop off
llevar a, dejar | She dropped off the kids at school before going to work. |
drop out
abandonar | He dropped out of school because he was failing all his classes. |
end up
acabar + infinitivo | There was no food at home so we ended up going out. |
fall apart (something)
deshacerse | The sweater fell apart after so many washings. |
fall apart (someone)
derrumbarse | She fell apart when she heard the news |
fall behind
quedarse atrás | Hurry up or you will fall behind. |
fall out
caerse | I think my wallet fell out of my purse. |
fight back
defenderse | If you don’t fight back, they will never stop bullying you. |
figure out
determinar | I can’t figure out why this isn’t working. |
fill in/out
rellenar | You must fill in/out the forms completely. |
fill up
llenar | I need to stop at the gas station and fill up the gas tank. |
find out
enterrarse | If the teacher doesn’t know the answer, she will find it out. |
fit in
encajar, integrarse | Despite her efforts, she never fit in with the other kids. |
get across
comunicar una idea | He tried everything to get his ideas across, but his boss didn’t understand. |
get along/on
llevarse bien | I’m so lucky, my father and my husband get along/on really well. |
get around
desplazarse, circular | News really gets around fast! |
get away
cogerse un descanso / vacaciones | Work has been so stressful, I need to get away! |
get away with
salir impune | She stole my idea, but she won’t get away with it. |
get back
regresar, volver | They get back from vacation on Thursday. |
get (something) back
devolver | I have to get these books back to the library today. |
get back at
vengarse de | I’ll get back at her for stealing my idea! |
get by
sobrevivir | We don’t have a lot of money right now, but we’ll get by. |
get on
subir | He got on the bus for the airport. |
get on
seguir | My husband and I have separated, but I must get on with my life. |
get out of
irse, salir, marcharse | It’s too smoky in here, I have to get out of here. |
get over
recuperarse | I’m so upset, I can’t get over failing my test. |
get through
superar, acabar | I’m never going to get through this book with all of these distractions! |
get together
quedar, reunir | We are getting together for dinner tomorrow at 8. |
get up
levantarse | What time did you get up this morning? |
give away
regalar | The millionaire gave away all his money just before he died. |
give back
devolver | Can you give me back my book when you have finished reading it? |
give in/up
ceder, rendirse | Be strong! Don’t give in to temptation |
give out
repartir, distribuir | They are giving out free samples at the store. |
give up
rendirse, abandonar | Ok, I give up. What’s the answer? |
go ahead
ir delante | Go ahead, I’ll meet you there. |
go back
regresar, volver | I’m so embarrassed. I can never go back to that restaurant. |
go out
salir | Let’s go out for a drink. |
go out with (someone)
salir con | I hear Michael is going out with Jane. |
go over
repasar | Before you submit your thesis, I think we should go over it together. |
go through
atravesar | You need to go through the Lincoln Tunnel to get to New Jersey. |
go through
sufrir, soportar | I can’t believe what you have been through. |
grow up
crecer, criarse | Alex grew up in France but now he lives in Italy. |
hand in
presentar, entregar | All homework must be handed in by the end of the day. |
hand out
repartir | The teacher will hand out the assignments this afternoon. |
hang on
esperar | Hang on, I’m coming. |
hang out
pasar tiempo con | Her favorite thing to do is hang out with her friends. |
hang up
colgar el teléfono | I was so angry I hung up on him. |
hit on
flirtear, coquetear con | Look at how that guy is hitting on Debbie. |
hold back
contenerse | She tried, but she couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. |
hold on
esperar | Hold on, I’m coming. |
hurry up
darse prisa | Hurry up or we will be late. |
keep on
seguir | She kept on asking me the same questions. |
lay (somebody) off
despedir | With the crises, we have been forced to lay off some staff. |
let (somebody) down
defraudar, decepcionar | I don’t want to let you down, but I don’t think I can come with you to the party tomorrow. |
look forward to
tener ganas de | We are really looking forward to your visit! |
look out
prestar atención, tener cuidado | Look out! That car almost hit you! |
look up
buscar, consultar | You will need to look up some words in the dictionary. |
look up to (somebody)
admirar a alguien | She’s so brave, I have always looked up to her. |
make (something) up
inventar algo | I don’t believe you. You’re making that up! |
make up (somebody)
reconciliarse | Our parents had an argument last night, but they made up this morning. |
pick on (somebody)
fastidiar, burlar | When I was young, my brother always picked on me. |
put (something) off
posponer, atrasar | You must not want to do it, you keep putting it off. |
rely on
contar con, confiar en | I hope I can rely on you to be discreet. |
slow down
reducir la velocidad | Slow down please, you are driving too fast! |
speak up
hablar más alto, subir la voz | Can you please speak up, I can’t understand you. |
take after (somebody)
parecerse | With that bad temper, he must take after his father. |
take over
sustituir, hacerse con el control | If you are tired of driving, I can take over for a while. |
take off
despegar | The plane will take off in 5 minutes. |
take up
ocupar, empezar una afición | He has taken up tennis in his free time. |
tell (somebody) off
echar la bronca, regañar | She told him off after he was late again. |
throw out
echar | They should throw that guy out, he’s really drunk. |
