Mastering 50 Essential Phrasal Verbs: Meanings and Spanish Translations

Essential Phrasal Verbs for English Fluency

Improving your English requires mastering phrasal verbs. Below is a comprehensive list of common expressions, their definitions in English, and their Spanish equivalents to help you communicate more naturally.

Phrasal Verbs List: Part 1

• Grow apart: (Stop being friends) — Distanciarse
• Grow up: (Become an adult) — Crecer, criarse
• Hand sth in: (Submit) — Entregar
• Hand sth over: (Give unwillingly) — Entregar de mala gana
• Hand sth out: (Distribute to a group) — Repartir
• Hang on: (Wait a short time) — Esperar
• Hang out: (Spend time relaxing) — Pasar el rato
• Hang up: (End a phone call) — Colgar
• Hold on: (Wait a short time) — Esperar
• Keep on doing sth: (Continue doing) — Continuar haciendo
• Let sb down: (Fail to support or help) — Fallarle a alguien
• Look after: (Take care of) — Cuidar
• Look down on sb: (Consider inferior) — Menospreciar
• Look for: (Try to find) — Buscar
• Look forward to: (Be excited about something) — Estar deseando algo
• Look out: (Watch out, be careful) — Tener cuidado
• Look sth up: (Search for information in a dictionary or reference book) — Buscar una palabra
• Look up to sb: (Admire) — Admirar
• Make up: (Forgive each other, invent) — Hacer las paces, inventar
• Pass by: (Go or move past) — Transcurrir tiempo
• Pay back: (Return owed money) — Pagar, devolver dinero
• Pick out: (Choose) — Escoger
• Pick up: (Come and get somebody in a car) — Recoger
• Point out: (Emphasize) — Señalar
• Put off: (Postpone) — Posponer
• Put on: (Wear) — Ponerse ropa
• Put out: (Extinguish fire) — Apagar fuego
• Put sth together: (Assemble) — Juntar
• Put up with: (Tolerate) — Soportar

Phrasal Verbs List: Part 2

• Run away: (Escape) — Huir, escapar
• Run out of: (Have none left) — Agotarse
• Run over: (Knock down a person with a moving vehicle) — Atropellar
• Set off: (Begin a journey) — Partir, viaje
• Set up: (Arrange, organize, start a business) — Preparar, arreglar cita, fundar negocio
• Show off: (Act in a special way before people) — Alardear
• Stand for: (Represent, symbolize) — Significar siglas
• Stand out: (Be very noticeable) — Destacar, llamar la atención
• Take after sb: (Resemble) — Parecerse a alguien
• Take sth back: (Return an item, retract something) — Devolver un producto
• Take part in: (Participate) — Participar
• Throw up: (Vomit) — Vomitar
• Try on: (Put clothing on one's body) — Probarse
• Turn down: (Switch off, stop using the faucet) — Apagar, desenchufar
• Turn on: (Switch on, start using faucet) — Encender, enchufar
• Turn up: (Increase volume) — Subir volumen
• Use up: (Finish the supply) — Agotar, gastar
• Watch out: (Be careful) — Tener cuidado
• Work out: (Exercise) — Entrenar
• Wipe out: (Eradicate, destroy completely) — Exterminar
• Write down: (Record, set down in writing) — Apuntar, anotar