PHRASAL VERBS
Type 1: ‘Intransitive Verbs’ ( = verbs not followed by a direct object )
PHRASAL VERB
Paraphrase
Sentence
German
break up
separate
After performing together for years, the group
sich trennen
suddenly broke up.
( also type 2! )
have a good relationship
We _______ ______ really well together.
auskommen miteinander
continue
They didn’t want to __________ ___ without
weiterfahren
me.
They _______ __________ every Monday
zusammenkommen, sich
morning.
treffen
surrender
I won’t _______ _____ .
nachgeben
get connected by phone
I can never ______ ___________ when I try to
durchkommen, tel.
ring her.
erreichen
I’m sure Paul will ______ ______ in his new
erfolgreich sein
meet
succeed
job.
You can _______ _______ with very little
durchkommen,
money.
auskommen
leave
We ______ __________ early in the morning.
aufbrechen
appear
She _________ _________ with a policeman
erscheinen, ‘auftauchen’
change direction
Let’s ______ _________ .
umkehren
manage
Type 2: ‘Transitive separable verbs’
The direct object can go before the particle, i.e. it can separate the verb from the particle
e.g.: ‘I looked up the word.’ – ‘I looked the word up.’
The object pronoun can only go before the particle!
e.g.: ‘I looked it up.’
PHRASAL VERB
Paraphrase
Sentence
German
call off
cancel
They called the concerts off. /
absagen, abbrechen
They called off the concerts. /
They called them off.
support
They were always there to
unterstützen
_______ me _____ when I was
in trouble.
make someone leave / force
They wanted to _________ me
someone to leave
_______.
write down
I didn’t _________ _________
( sich ) notieren
everything she said.
give to someone
They _________ _________
über-/hergeben, aushändigen
some keys.
reject, refuse
My applications were _______
ablehnen
________
continue
I ___________ ________ my
fortsetzen
search.
postpone
I ________ ________ my
auf-/verschieben
holiday.
find a way of doing something
They __________ _______ a
entwickeln, erarbeiten
plan.
tell sth that you should keep
She _________ their secret
secret
__________.
finish / stop ( with )
I can’t ______ ______ chocolate. aufgeben
invent
He obviously ________ his
erfinden
excuse _______.
turn off, switch off
Don’t forget to ______ _______
ausschalten
the lights before you leave.
lift, raise ( from the floor/ground
_______ ________ these scraps
etc. )
of paper!
( … clothes ) get dressed
______ ________ a coat. It’s
auflesen
anziehen ( Kleider )
cold outside.
increase ( weight )
She’s ____ _____ some weight
zunehmen
over Christmas.
perform
They first ____ _____ this play
aufführen
last month.
raise, increase
This shop has _____ ______ its
prices again!
Type 3: ‘Transitive inseparable verbs’
The direct object can only go after the particle, i.e. it cannot separate the verb from the particle.
e.g.: ‘We had to look after the children.
The object pronoun can only go after the particle.
e.g.: ‘We had to look after them.’
PHRASAL VERB
Paraphrase
Sentence
German
go over
discuss
They go over plans for next
durchgehen, besprechen
week. / They go over them.
rely on
I thought I could _____ ____
zählen auf, sich verlassen auf
them.
take care of
I expected them to _______
sich kümmern um, sorgen für
______ me when I needed them.
recover from
manage to reach
He _____ ________ the flu very
sich erholen von, hinwegkommen
quickly.
über
I can’t ____ _______ things on
erreichen
the top shelf: I’m too small.
move towards
They _________ _______ a
zuhalten auf
nearby forest.
try to find
She was ___________ ______
suchen
firewood.
succeed in living (/working … )
I can’t ____ __________ it.
ohne auskommen, verzichten auf
without
look / behave like an older
With her dark hair and eyes, she
relative
_________ _________ her
father.
meet / find by chance
I ________ __________ it
(zufällig ) begegnen, finden
unexpectedly.
Type 4: ‘Transitive inseparable verbs with two particles’
The same rules apply as with Type 3!
e.g.: ‘I look forward to the meeting / to meeting you.’ - ‘I look forward to it.’
( Note: some ‘Type 1’ phrasal verbs can be turned into ‘Type 4’ phrasal verbs:
e.g.: ‘They get on well.’ ( Type 1 ) - ‘They get on with their parents.’ / ‘They get on with them.’ ( Type 4 ) )
PHRASAL VERB
Paraphrase
Sentence
German
get on with
have a good relationship with
I have always got on well with
auskommen mit
the other members.
to encounter
They have ________ _____
stossen auf ( Schwierigkeiten )
_______ some difficulties.
to tolerate
I _____ ______ ______ this for sich abfinden mit, ertragen
a while.
to escape the consequences of
They’re not going to _____
ungestraft davonkommen mit
_______ ______ it!
to avoid doing something that you She is always trying to ______
should do
________ _______ doing the
washing.
sich drücken um
find time to do something
I finally _____ _________ to
dazu kommen ( etwas zu tun )
watching the programme I
recorded.
reduce
I _____ _______ ______ what I
reduzieren
spent on luxuries.
no longer have
We’ve _____ _______ _______
milk again!
ausgehen ( Vorräte … )