Phrasal Verbs are Easy!

Phrasal Verbs Are Easy! (Seriously)

The Problem with Phrasal Verbs

Ask any English learner what they think of phrasal verbs, and you’ll probably hear something like:

• "Phrasal verbs are impossible!"
• "Ugh, I HATE phrasal verbs!"

But why? Why do phrasal verbs send shivers down the spines of English learners, while native speakers use them effortlessly? The truth is, we never actually "learned" them in school. I mean, I struggle with spelling, my grammar isn’t perfect, but I can confidently say I understand every single phrasal verb without even thinking about it.

Now, ask yourself these two questions:

1. Do you know every word in English? (Of course not, unless you’ve memorized the dictionary!)
2. Do you know every phrasal verb in English? (Yes, you do!)

Crazy, right? But it’s true. Native speakers instinctively understand every phrasal verb, even ones they’ve never heard before. So what’s the secret?

We Know Without Knowing

If you ask a native speaker about phrasal verbs, chances are they won’t even know what you’re talking about. Yet, they use them all the time. How?

It all comes down to imaging—the way our brains connect words to mental pictures. Think about these words: apple, table, jacket. You don’t just see letters; you instantly picture the objects in your mind. That’s how we store language.

Now, imagine you’re an English learner. When they hear the word up, they picture an arrow pointing upwards. Same with down—an arrow pointing down. Simple, right? But here’s where it gets tricky: not every up means direction.

• It’s up to you. (Where’s the arrow?)
• He gave up. (Where’s the direction?)

There’s no arrow, but there is meaning. The trick is to teach the hidden meanings of prepositions, and suddenly, phrasal verbs become clear.

The key to understanding phrasal verbs lies in emotion and connection. Every preposition has a theme—a thread (or threads) that link all verbs that use it. Once learners see this, they stop memorizing and start understanding.

Take the word on in these sentences:

• The bottle is on the table.
• The film went on and on.
• He went on at me about my messy room.

In other languages, these might be three completely unrelated ideas. But in English, they all share a connection: continuation. Once learners see this pattern, they won’t just “learn” phrasal verbs—they’ll actually get them.

Phrasal Verbs Are Like Babies (Stay With Me Here…)

Here’s an easy way to explain phrasal verbs: think of them like babies. You exist because your parents "came together" (let’s keep this PG). But you’re not an exact copy of either parent—you’re a unique blend of both. That’s exactly what happens with a verb + preposition. They combine to create something new—something with its own meaning.

For example:

• I walked up the stairs. (Easy, movement = direction.)
• I gave up smoking. (Where’s the direction? There isn’t one!)

If a verb describes movement, the preposition will usually be literal (arrows and directions). But if it’s not a movement verb, the preposition gives the phrase a new meaning. This is where learners struggle—but it’s also where we can help them unlock the logic behind it.

How We Actually Learn Phrasal Verbs

Think back to when you were a child. Imagine a mother feeding her baby, saying, “And the spoon goes up and in!” Over time, the child learns that up = movement. Simple!

Fast forward three years. The same child is playing while the mother is cooking:

• Child: "Mommy, look at me!"
• Mom: "Not now, baby. I’m busy."
• Child: "Mommy, mommy, look at me!"
• Mom: "SHUT UP!"

Boom. Up just took on a whole new meaning. It no longer means movement; it now means stop talking. The child never took a grammar class on phrasal verbs—but they instinctively learned this new meaning through experience. Over time, they hear things like:

• Coca-Cola was set up in 1886. (Here, “up” means founded/started.)

And it all starts to make sense. Up means ‘start’. Up means ‘stop’. Native speakers don’t learn phrasal verbs, but they pick them up naturally over time. And the best part? These meanings aren’t random. Each preposition has fixed, concrete meanings that apply across different phrasal verbs.

The Big Takeaway

Phrasal verbs seem chaotic, but they actually follow patterns. In the next series of blog posts, I’ll break down the most common prepositions and show you exactly how to decode phrasal verbs. By the end, if someone asks you, “What do you think of phrasal verbs?” you’ll finally be able to say:

“Phrasal verbs? They’re easy!”