10 Phrasal Verbs You'll Use Every Day

Phrasal verbs are everywhere in everyday English — in conversations, emails, even song lyrics. If you're not sure what a phrasal verb actually is, we covered the basics in our beginner's guide to phrasal verbs. Here, we'll go straight to ten you'll hear and use constantly, with simple meanings and examples for each.

Staying in Touch and Socialising

These two phrasal verbs come up constantly when talking about friendships and free time:

• Get along (with) — to have a good relationship with someone. "I get along really well with my new flatmate."

• Hang out (with) — to spend relaxed, casual time with someone. "We're hanging out at the park this weekend."

Chance Meetings

English has specific phrasal verbs for things that happen unexpectedly:

• Run into — to meet someone by chance. "I ran into my old teacher at the supermarket."

• Come across — to find or discover something by chance. "I came across this article while researching something else."

Getting Things Done

These are useful when you're talking about tasks, problems, or your to-do list:

• Figure out — to understand or solve something after thinking about it. "It took me a while to figure out the new app."

• Put off — to delay doing something. "Stop putting off that email — just send it."

Making Decisions

Use these when talking about choices, offers, and how people respond to them:

• Give up — to stop trying or quit something. "Don't give up on your English just because it feels hard today."

• Turn down — to refuse an offer or request. "She turned down the job because the salary was too low."

Finding Information

Finally, these two are essential for talking about searching and recommending:

• Look up — to search for information, often in a dictionary or online. "If you don't know a word, look it up."

• Check out — to look at or examine something, often as a recommendation. "You should check out this podcast — it's really good."

Phrasal verbs like these become natural once you actually use them in real conversation, not just read them on a list. With JennyLingo, you can practise using these expressions naturally with a tutor who'll gently correct you along the way.