Phrasal verb AGREE WITH (sb) Translation estar de acuerdo con Example "All women are bad drivers." "I don't agree with you." BE ABOUT TO (sth) estar a punto de I was about to leave the house when my friends arrived. BE BACK regresar I'm working late tonight so I won't be back until 10. BE OUT OF (sth) quedarse sin We're out of eggs so we can't make a tortilla. BE OVER terminarse When the football match was over, we went to the pub. BE UP estar levantado Phil isn't up yet: he's still in bed. BLOW (sth) UP hacer estallar (una bomba) The bomb blew up killing six people. BLOW (sth) UP inflar We blew up a hundred balloons for the Christmas party. BREAK DOWN averiarse My car broke down on the way to Motril. BREAK (sth) DOWN derribar The police broke down the door. BRING (sb) UP criar, educar When I was very young, my aunt brought me up. CALL (sb) BACK volver a llamar Could you call back later? CARRY ON (sth) seguir. continuar I'm sorry if I interrupted you. Please carry on. CARRY OUT cumplir (una promesa) The President carried out his promise to reduce taxation. CARRY (sth) OUT llevar a cabo The execution was carried out at seven o'clock in the morning. CATCH UP WITH (sb/sth) alcanzar a, dar alcance You can catch up with everyone else if you run fast. CLEAR (sth) UP poner en orden It took four hours to clear up after the party. COME ACROSS (sb/sth) encontrar(se) con, dar con, cruzarse con I came across an old friend on the metro in Madrid. COME BACK regresar I'm coming back from England on the fifth. COME IN entrar "Good morning. Come in and sit down." COME ON ¡Vamos!, ¡Date prisa! Come on. We're going to be late. CUT DOWN ON (sth) consumir menos You must cut down on cholesterol. CUT (sth) OFF cortar; desconectar When we didn't pay the bill, the electricity was cut off. CUT (sth) UP cortar en pedazos We cut up the birthday cake and gave everyone a slice. DEAL WITH (sb/sth) resolver algo, negociar con, tratar (con) The problem was brought to my attention and I dealt with it. DO (sth) UP abrochar, atar I was five before I knew how to do up my shoelaces. DO (sth) UP redecorar I did up my flat and now it looks much better. DO WITH (sb/sth) tener algo que ver con, tener relación "It's got something to do with computers." DO WITHOUT (sb/sth) vivir sin, prescindir de, arreglárselas sin The shops are shut so we'll have to do without sugar. DRAW UP acercarse, llegar The car drew up at the zebra crossing. DRAW (sth) UP redactar I had to draw a lot of documents up yesterday. FIND (sth) OUT descubrir, averiguar They never found out how he escaped. GET BACK volver, regresar Cinderella had to get back by twelve o'clock. GET IN(TO) entrar I lost my keys and so I couldn't get into the house. GET OFF bajar (de un autobus, tren) You have to get off the bus if you want the station. GET ON subir (a un autobus, tren, moto) Quick! Get on the train, it's about to leave. GET ON WITH llevarse (bien/mal) con I can't get on well with your boss. GET ON WITH (sth) seguir con (trabajo) Don't watch TV. Just get on with your homework! GET UP levantarse When I got up this morning it was still dark. GIVE (sth) BACK (to [sb]) devolver (algo) (a alguien) If you don't like the dress, I will give you your money back. GIVE UP perder la esperanza, rendirse If you find phrasal verbs difficult, don't give up. GIVE (sth) UP dejar (de fumar, beber) You'll get cancer if you don't give up smoking. GO AHEAD Siga! "Can I use the telephone?" "Yes, go ahead." GO AWAY irse, marcharse Are you going away for Christmas? GO BACK TO (sb/sth) volver, regresar (con/a) She's going back to University to study French. GO DOWN (sth) bajar The price of fruit goes down in the summer. GO OFF (sth) dejar de gustar GO ON (sth) continuar, seguir Some children enjoy stamp collecting, but go off it when they get older. Go on with your story! GO OUT salir (por la calle) I always go out and have a few drinks on Saturday night. GO UP subir; aumentar The price of cigarettes went up in January 1992. HANG ON/HOLD ON esperar Hold on for a minute as Pablo will be back in five minute. HANG UP colgar (el teléfono) My ex-girlfriend hung up when I phoned her. HANG (sth) UP colgar (ropa...) The children hung up their coats at the classroom. JOIN IN (sth) participar My friends were all playing cards so I joined in, too KEEP UP WITH (sb/sth) mantenerse (a la altura de) I can't keep up with my father when we go cycling. KNOCK (sth) DOWN derribar, atropear, demoler My grandfather's old house was knocked down. LEAVE (sth/sb) BEHIND olvidar, dejar I realised I had left my passport behind. LET (sb) IN dejar entrar, hacer pasar She opened the door and let in the cat. LOOK AFTER (sth/sb) cuidar, ocuparse de My mother looks after the children when we go away. LOOK FOR (sth/sb) buscar I spent two hours looking for my glasses. LOOK FORWARD TO esperar con ilusión, ansiar, anhelar I'm looking forward to the Easter holidays. LOOK OUT tener cuidado, ¡Ojo! (Look out!) There's a car coming. JOHN & SARAH 1996 (c) LOOK (sth) UP buscar algo (en un libro, diccionario) If you don't understand the word, look it up in a dictionary. MAKE (sth) UP inventar(se) He made up the whole story. MAKE (sb) UP Maquillar(se), pintar(se) Learn how to make yourself up. MAKE UP (WITH sb) hacer las paces (con alguien) They always make up after an argument. MAKE UP FOR (sth) superar, compensar I hope this money will make up for the inconvenience. PUT (sb/sth) DOWN inscribirse I've put you down as unemployed. PUT IN (sth) meter, introducir Put ten pence in the machine and you will get a coffee. PUT (sth) ON encender Put on the light, it's getting dark. PUT (sth) ON ponerse (la ropa) Put your coat on or you'll get cold. RUN OUT OF sth quedarse sin algo We ran out of petrol so we had to get the bus. SET OFF ponerse en camino We set off to Madrid at five o'clock to avoid the traffic. SET OUT (for) salir de viaje (a) They set out for London early the following day. SET (sth) UP fundar, crear, poner en marcha When I'm older, I'd like to set up my own company. SETTLE DOWN asentarse, sentar cabeza, echar raíces He'll ever settle down SORT OUT (sth) solucionar, organizar I'd like to have a coach to help me sort out my problems. TAKE AFTER (sb) parecerse a Pablo takes after his mother: they are both optimistic. TAKE OFF despegar The plane eventually took off at 6 p.m. TAKE (sth) OFF quitarse la ropa Take off your coat and make yourself comfortable. TAKE (sth) OUT extraer, sacar He took out a cigarette and lit it. TAKE (sth) UP empezar a hacer una actividad My sister took up singing last year. THROW (sth) AWAY tirar (a la basura), deshacerse de Don't throw these papers away: they're important. TURN (sth) DOWN bajar (el volumen) Turn down the radio: it's too loud. TURN (sth/sb) DOWN rechazar (a) She turned him down TURN INTO (sth) transformar(se)/convertir(se) en He had the ability to turn his dream into reality. TURN (sth) OFF apagar (televisión, luces etc.) Could you turn the TV off? TURN (sth) ON encender (televisión, luces etc.) Turn on the television, please; I want to see the news. TURN (sth) UP subir (el volumen...) Turn up the radio. I can't hear it. TURN UP llegar He turned up two hours late. WORK (sth) OUT calcular, resolver, cuadrar I'm trying to work out the total cost. WORK OUT Hacer ejercicio, ejercitarse We're going to the gym to work out this afternoon.
