Imagine this: You know the word “look,” and you know the word “up,” but when someone says “look up,” why does it sometimes mean “search” and sometimes mean “improve”?
Welcome to the confusing, yet fascinating, world of Phrasal Verbs (वाक्यांश क्रियाएँ)!
In English, a phrasal verb is a combination of a verb + preposition/adverb that creates a completely new meaning, often very different from the original verb. For SSC, Bank PO, CAT, and State exams, phrasal verbs are a hotspot—they appear in fill-in-the-blanks, error detection, and reading comprehension passages.
In this ultimate guide, we will break down the most frequently asked phrasal verbs, group them by their base verbs for easy memorization, provide exact Hindi meanings, and share exam-oriented tricks. Let’s crack the code! 🚀
🧐 What Exactly is a Phrasal Verb?
A phrasal verb is a two or three-word phrase consisting of a verb and a particle (a preposition or adverb).
- Verb + Preposition (e.g., look at, listen to)
- Verb + Adverb (e.g., break down, run out)
⚠️ Golden Rule to Remember:
Do not translate them literally! If you translate “run out” literally into Hindi, it means “बाहर दौड़ना,” but its actual meaning is “खत्म हो जाना” (to finish).
Types of Phrasal Verbs (Quick Grammar):
| Type | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Intransitive | Does not take an object. | The car broke down. (कोई वस्तु नहीं) |
| Transitive (Separable) | The object can come between the verb and particle. | Turn off the light. → Turn the light off. |
| Transitive (Inseparable) | The object must come after the particle. | Look after the child. (Cannot say: Look the child after) |
📚 Group 1: The “LOOK” Family (देखना / ढूंढना)
Master these first, as they are the most commonly tested.
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look up | To search for information / To improve | ढूंढना / सुधार होना | Look up this word in the dictionary. (शब्दकोश में यह शब्द ढूंढो) / Things are finally looking up. (हालात सुधर रहे हैं) |
| Look after | To take care of | देखभाल करना | Please look after my plants while I am away. (मेरे पौधों की देखभाल करना) |
| Look into | To investigate / examine | जाँच करना | The police will look into the matter. (पुलिस मामले की जाँच करेगी) |
| Look down upon | To regard with contempt | तिरस्कार करना / घृणा दृष्टि से देखना | Don’t look down upon the poor. (गरीबों को तिरस्कार मत करो) |
| Look forward to | To be excited about something in the future | बेसब्री से इंतज़ार करना | I look forward to meeting you. (मैं आपसे मिलने का बेसब्री से इंतज़ार करता हूँ) |
| Look out | To be careful / watch out | सावधान रहना | Look out! There is a car coming. (सावधान! एक कार आ रही है) |
🏃 Group 2: The “RUN” Family (दौड़ना / खत्म होना)
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run out | To be completely used up | खत्म हो जाना | We have run out of milk. (हमारा दूध खत्म हो गया है) |
| Run into | To meet unexpectedly / To collide | अचानक मिलना / टकराना | I ran into my old teacher at the mall. (मॉल में मेरी पुरानी टीचर से अचानक मुलाकात हो गई) |
| Run over | To hit with a vehicle | कुचल देना / गाड़ी से टकराना | The dog was run over by a truck. (कुत्ता ट्रक से कुचल गया) |
| Run after | To chase | पीछा करना | The police are running after the thief. (पुलिस चोर का पीछा कर रही है) |
| Run away | To flee / escape | भाग जाना | The boy ran away from home. (लड़का घर से भाग गया) |
💔 Group 3: The “BREAK” Family (तोड़ना / शुरू होना)
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Break down | To stop working / To lose control emotionally | खराब हो जाना / भावुक हो जाना | My car broke down on the highway. (मेरी कार हाइवे पर खराब हो गई) / She broke down crying. (वह रोने लगी) |
| Break into | To enter forcefully (burglary) | सेंध लगाना | Thieves broke into the office last night. (चोरों ने कल रात ऑफिस में सेंध लगाई) |
| Break out | To start suddenly (war, fire, disease) | अचानक शुरू होना (युद्ध/आग) | A fire broke out in the building. (इमारत में आग लग गई) |
| Break up | To end a relationship / To disperse | संबंध तोड़ना / बिखरना | They broke up after 5 years. (उन्होंने 5 साल बाद संबंध तोड़ लिए) |
| Break through | To make a way through a barrier | बाधा पार करना | The army broke through the enemy lines. (सेना ने दुश्मन की लाइनें पार कर लीं) |
🔄 Group 4: The “GET” Family (प्राप्त करना / बनना)
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get along | To have a good relationship | अच्छा संबंध होना / घुलना-मिलना | I get along well with my colleagues. (मेरा सहकर्मियों से अच्छा संबंध है) |
| Get over | To recover from (illness, shock) | उबरना / पार पाना | She cannot get over her husband’s death. (वह अपने पति की मौत से उबर नहीं पा रही है) |
| Get away | To escape / To go on vacation | भाग निकलना / छुट्टियाँ मनाना | The robbers got away in a black car. (लुटेरे काली कार में भाग निकले) |
| Get through | To pass (an exam) / To contact someone | पास होना / संपर्क करना | I couldn’t get through to him on the phone. (मैं फोन पर उससे संपर्क नहीं कर पाया) |
| Get off | To alight from a vehicle / To escape punishment | उतरना / सजा से बचना | He got off with a warning. (उसे चेतावनी देकर छोड़ दिया गया) |
✈️ Group 5: The “TAKE” Family (लेना / समझना)
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take off | To remove (clothes) / To depart (airplane) / To succeed | उतारना / उड़ान भरना / सफल होना | The plane took off on time. (विमान ने समय पर उड़ान भरी) / His career took off after that movie. (उसके करियर को सफलता मिली) |
| Take after | To resemble (parents) | सदृश होना / मिलना-जुलना | She takes after her mother in looks. (वह दिखने में अपनी माँ से मिलती है) |
| Take over | To assume control | अधिकार लेना / संभालना | The new manager will take over next week. (नया मैनेजर अगले हफ्ते संभालेगा) |
| Take up | To start a new hobby / To occupy space | शुरू करना / स्थान घेरना | I plan to take up yoga. (मैं योग शुरू करने की योजना बना रहा हूँ) |
⏸️ Group 6: The “PUT” Family (रखना / डालना)
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Put off | To postpone / To discourage | टालना / हतोत्साहित करना | Don’t put off your homework until tomorrow. (अपना होमवर्क कल मत टालो) |
| Put up with | To tolerate | सहन करना | I cannot put up with this noise anymore. (मैं इस शोर को और सहन नहीं कर सकता) |
| Put out | To extinguish (fire/light) | बुझाना | The firemen put out the fire quickly. (फायरमैन ने आग जल्दी बुझा दी) |
| Put on | To wear (clothes) / To switch on | पहनना / चालू करना | Put on your jacket; it’s cold. (अपना जैकेट पहनो; ठंड है) |
| Put across | To communicate effectively | प्रभावी ढंग से समझाना | He put across his ideas very clearly. (उसने अपने विचार बहुत स्पष्ट रूप से रखे) |
⚡ Group 7: The “TURN” & “COME” Family (Bonus Essentials)
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turn down | To reject / To decrease volume | अस्वीकार करना / आवाज कम करना | She turned down the job offer. (उसने नौकरी का प्रस्ताव ठुकरा दिया) |
| Turn up | To arrive / To increase volume | आना / आवाज बढ़ाना | He turned up late for the meeting. (वह मीटिंग के लिए देर से आया) |
| Turn out | To result / To prove to be | साबित होना / परिणाम निकलना | The party turned out to be a success. (पार्टी सफल साबित हुई) |
| Come across | To find by chance / To seem like | अचानक मिलना / लगना | I came across this old photo. (मुझे यह पुरानी फोटो अचानक मिली) / He comes across as rude. (वह रूखा लगता है) |
| Come up with | To think of (an idea/plan) | सुझाव देना / नई योजना बनाना | She came up with a brilliant plan. (उसने एक शानदार योजना बनाई) |
| Carry out | To execute / Perform an action | निष्पादित करना | The doctor carried out the surgery successfully. (डॉक्टर ने सर्जरी सफलतापूर्वक की) |
| Carry on | To continue | जारी रखना | Please carry on with your work. (कृपया अपना काम जारी रखें) |
📋 Master Revision Table (50 Most Important Phrasal Verbs)
| # | Phrasal Verb | Hindi Meaning | # | Phrasal Verb | Hindi Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Look up | ढूंढना / सुधारना | 26 | Take over | अधिकार लेना |
| 2 | Look after | देखभाल करना | 27 | Take after | मिलना-जुलना (समानता) |
| 3 | Look into | जाँच करना | 28 | Put off | टालना |
| 4 | Look down upon | तिरस्कार करना | 29 | Put up with | सहन करना |
| 5 | Look forward to | बेसब्री से इंतज़ार | 30 | Put out | बुझाना |
| 6 | Run out | खत्म होना | 31 | Put on | पहनना / चालू करना |
| 7 | Run into | अचानक मिलना / टकराना | 32 | Turn down | अस्वीकार करना / कम करना |
| 8 | Run over | कुचल देना | 33 | Turn up | आना / बढ़ाना |
| 9 | Break down | खराब होना / रोना | 34 | Turn out | साबित होना |
| 10 | Break into | सेंध लगाना | 35 | Come across | अचानक मिलना / लगना |
| 11 | Break out | शुरू होना (अचानक) | 36 | Come up with | नया विचार देना |
| 12 | Break up | संबंध तोड़ना | 37 | Carry out | निष्पादित करना |
| 13 | Get along | अच्छा संबंध | 38 | Carry on | जारी रखना |
| 14 | Get over | उबरना | 39 | Give up | छोड़ देना / हार मानना |
| 15 | Get away | भागना / छुट्टी जाना | 40 | Give in | झुक जाना / मान जाना |
| 16 | Get through | पास होना / संपर्क करना | 41 | Call off | रद्द करना |
| 17 | Take off | उतारना / उड़ान भरना | 42 | Call on | भेंट करना / आह्वान करना |
| 18 | Hold on | रुको / इंतज़ार करो | 43 | Set up | स्थापित करना |
| 19 | Hold back | रोकना / दबाना (भावनाएँ) | 44 | Set out | यात्रा शुरू करना / प्रस्तुत करना |
| 20 | Work out | हल करना / व्यायाम करना | 45 | Bring up | पालन-पोषण करना / बात उठाना |
| 21 | Point out | इंगित करना | 46 | Bring about | घटित करना / लाना (परिवर्तन) |
| 22 | Figure out | समझना / पता लगाना | 47 | Go through | अनुभव करना / जाँचना |
| 23 | Find out | पता लगाना | 48 | Go on | जारी रखना / घटित होना |
| 24 | Stand for | प्रतिनिधित्व करना / बर्दाश्त करना | 49 | Make out | समझना / बनावटी प्यार करना |
| 25 | Account for | उत्तरदायी ठहराना / कारण बताना | 50 | Make up | बनाना / झगड़ा मिटाना |
💡 Pro-Tips for SSC, Bank & CAT Exams
- Focus on the “Particle” (Preposition/Adverb): Usually, the particle gives a hint about the meaning.
- “Up” often means completion or increase (e.g., break up, sum up, grow up).
- “Down” often means reduction or falling (e.g., break down, cut down, turn down).
- “Out” often means leaving or becoming extinct (e.g., run out, come out, die out).
- Separable vs. Inseparable Trap: In error detection questions, if an object pronoun (me, him, her, it) is used, it must go between the verb and particle for separable verbs.
- ✅ Correct: Take it off.
- ❌ Wrong: Take off it.
- Context is King: If you don’t know the exact meaning, read the surrounding words. If the sentence is about a machine, “break down” likely means “खराब होना.” If it’s about a relationship, it means “संबंध तोड़ना.”
🧪 Test Yourself: Practice MCQs
Q1. The government has decided to ________ the new policy due to public opposition.
A) Carry out
B) Call off
C) Turn up
D) Look into
Answer: B) Call off (रद्द करना)
Q2. I ran ________ my childhood friend at the railway station yesterday.
A) out
B) over
C) into
D) after
Answer: C) into (अचानक मिलना)
Q3. Despite the heavy rain, the match was not ________.
A) put out
B) put off
C) put on
D) put up with
Answer: B) put off (टालना – Note: It means the match was not postponed).
Q4. The new manager is very strict; I can’t ________ his rude behavior.
A) put up with
B) put off
C) get over
D) break into
Answer: A) put up with (सहन करना)
Q5. Find the correct sentence:
A) She looked after him.
B) She looked after him.
C) She looked him after.
D) She looked him after.
(Hint: Look after is inseparable)
Answer: A) She looked after him. (✅) or B) if B is identical, but C/D are definitely wrong. Since “Look after” is inseparable, the object cannot come between. Let’s make it clearer.
Correct Answer: A) She looked after her grandmother. (यही सही क्रम है)
✅ Final Words
Phrasal Verbs are the heart of conversational English and a scoring area in competitive exams if you practice them smartly. Do not try to memorize all 300+ phrasal verbs in one day. Instead, learn them in families (like we did with Look, Run, Break) and practice using them in your daily sentences.