Top 20 Phrasal Verbs You Need for Everyday English (With Examples)

Phrasal verbs are the secret weapon of fluent English. They're also the reason you can understand a textbook but get lost in a real conversation. Native speakers use phrasal verbs constantly — often without realizing there's a simpler word available.

You can't avoid them. You need to learn them. Here are the 20 you'll hear (and need) every single day.

What Makes Phrasal Verbs So Hard?

A phrasal verb is a verb + particle (preposition or adverb) that creates a NEW meaning you can't guess from the individual words.

• Look = mirar/olhar
• Look up = buscar informacion
• Look after = cuidar
• Look forward to = esperar con ganas

Same verb, completely different meanings. This is why translation fails — you need to learn each combination as its own unit.

The 20 Essential Phrasal Verbs

1. Figure out

Meaning: To solve or understand something ES: Descifrar, resolver PT: Descobrir, entender

• "I can't figure out how to use this software."
• "We need to figure out why sales dropped last month."

2. Come up with

Meaning: To create or think of (an idea, plan, solution) ES: Inventar, idear PT: Inventar, criar

• "She came up with a brilliant marketing strategy."
• "Can you come up with a better name for the project?"

3. Look into

Meaning: To investigate or examine ES: Investigar, examinar PT: Investigar, analisar

• "I'll look into that bug and get back to you."
• "We should look into cheaper hosting options."

4. Set up

Meaning: To arrange, establish, or configure ES: Configurar, establecer PT: Configurar, montar

• "Can you help me set up my new laptop?"
• "They set up a meeting for Thursday."

5. Follow up

Meaning: To check on something after initial contact ES: Dar seguimiento PT: Dar seguimento

• "I'll follow up with the client tomorrow."
• "Did you follow up on that job application?"

6. Bring up

Meaning: To mention or introduce a topic ES: Mencionar, sacar el tema PT: Mencionar, trazer à tona

• "I want to bring up the budget issue in our next meeting."
• "She brought up a good point about security."

7. Turn out

Meaning: To result or end up being ES: Resultar ser PT: Acabar sendo

• "The project turned out better than expected."
• "It turns out he was right all along."

8. Run into

Meaning: To encounter unexpectedly (a person or problem) ES: Encontrarse con / toparse con PT: Encontrar por acaso / deparar-se com

• "I ran into my old boss at the conference."
• "We ran into some issues with the deployment."

9. Put off

Meaning: To postpone or delay ES: Posponer, aplazar PT: Adiar, postergar

• "Stop putting off your English practice."
• "The meeting was put off until next week."

10. Go over

Meaning: To review or examine ES: Repasar, revisar PT: Revisar, repassar

• "Let's go over the contract one more time."
• "Can you go over these numbers with me?"

11. Get along (with)

Meaning: To have a good relationship ES: Llevarse bien PT: Se dar bem

• "I get along really well with my team."
• "Do you get along with your manager?"

12. Work out

Meaning: To exercise OR to resolve successfully ES: Hacer ejercicio / funcionar, resolverse PT: Fazer exercicio / dar certo, funcionar

• "I work out three times a week." (exercise)
• "Everything worked out in the end." (resolved)

13. Point out

Meaning: To indicate or draw attention to ES: Señalar PT: Apontar, indicar

• "She pointed out a flaw in my argument."
• "I'd like to point out that we're over budget."

14. Take on

Meaning: To accept (responsibility, work, a challenge) ES: Asumir, aceptar PT: Assumir, aceitar

• "I can take on two more tasks this sprint."
• "She took on the role of team lead."

15. End up

Meaning: To eventually arrive at a result (often unexpected) ES: Terminar, acabar PT: Acabar, terminar

• "We ended up working until midnight."
• "I ended up accepting the job offer."

16. Give up

Meaning: To stop trying, to quit ES: Rendirse PT: Desistir

• "Don't give up on learning English."
• "He gave up smoking last year."

17. Pick up

Meaning: To learn casually OR to collect ES: Aprender (informalmente) / recoger PT: Aprender (informalmente) / pegar, buscar

• "I picked up some Spanish while living in Mexico." (learn)
• "Can you pick up the groceries on your way home?" (collect)

18. Keep up with

Meaning: To maintain the same speed/level as others ES: Mantenerse al dia con PT: Acompanhar, manter o ritmo

• "It's hard to keep up with all the new technology."
• "She runs fast — I can't keep up with her."

19. Look forward to

Meaning: To be excited about something in the future ES: Esperar con ganas PT: Estar ansioso por

• "I look forward to hearing from you." (common in emails)
• "We're looking forward to the vacation."

Note: Always followed by a noun or -ing form: "I look forward to meeting you." (NOT "to meet")

20. Come across

Meaning: To find by chance OR to seem/appear ES: Encontrar por casualidad / parecer PT: Encontrar por acaso / parecer

• "I came across an interesting article about AI." (find)
• "She comes across as very confident." (seems)

How to Actually Remember These

Reading a list won't make phrasal verbs stick. Here's what works:

1. Learn in context, not isolation

Don't memorize "figure out = resolver." Instead, memorize: "I need to figure out why this isn't working." The full sentence stays in memory longer.

2. Group by topic, not by verb

Instead of learning all "look" phrasal verbs together (confusing), group by situation:

• Work: set up, follow up, take on, bring up
• Problems: figure out, run into, work out
• Social: get along, come across, run into

3. Use them TODAY

Pick 3 phrasal verbs and force yourself to use them in conversations or messages today. Awkward at first, natural after 10 uses.

4. Practice in conversation

The best way to internalize phrasal verbs is using them while speaking. Voza creates conversations designed to practice specific vocabulary — including phrasal verbs — with real-time feedback.

Quick Quiz

Replace the formal word with the correct phrasal verb:

1. "I need to investigate this problem." → I need to _____ this problem.
2. "She postponed the meeting." → She _____ the meeting.
3. "We eventually worked until 10pm." → We _____ working until 10pm.
4. "He mentioned an interesting idea." → He _____ an interesting idea.
5. "I encountered her at the store." → I _____ her at the store.

Answers: 1. look into, 2. put off, 3. ended up, 4. brought up, 5. ran into

Make Them Automatic

Phrasal verbs separate intermediate speakers from advanced ones. When you start using them naturally — without thinking — native speakers will notice. You'll sound less textbook and more human.

Start with these 20. Master them in conversation. Then expand your repertoire.

Practice phrasal verbs in real conversations with Voza — our AI adapts to your level and helps you use these naturally.