A/ ‘Phrasal verbs’: là các động từ kép gồm có ‘một động từ + một hoặc hai tiểu từ (particles)’.

Các tiểu
từ (particles) thường là một giới từ (preposition) hoặc trạng từ (adverb). Các tiểu từ thường dùng gồm có:
across, after, away, back, down, for, forward, in, into, off, on, out, over, round, up, ... Người ta thường
phân biệt ‘động từ kép’ theo bốn loại như sau:
1. ‘Phrasal verbs’ without an object: Các động từ kép không có túc từ.
- Ví dụ:
- When we got to the airport, the plane had taken off. (take off = leave the ground: cất cánh)
- His grandfather passed away last year. (pass away = die)
2. ‘Separable phrasal verbs’ (Động từ kép có thể tách ra được): là các ‘động từ kép + túc từ’ mà ta có thể
đặt danh từ trước hoặc sau tiểu từ.
- Ví dụ:
- May I hand in my paper tomorrow, Sir? Or: May I hand my paper in tomorrow, Sir? (hand in = submit:
nộp)
- A loud noise woke up all the passengers. Or: A loud noise woke all the passengers up.
- Chú ý: Khi dùng đại từ (pronoun) thay vì danh từ, chúng ta phải đặt đại từ trước tiểu từ.
- Ví dụ:
- May I hand it in tomorrow, Sir? (NOT: May I hand in it tomorrow, Sir?)
- A loud noise woke them up. (NOT: A loud noise woke up them.)
3. Nonseparable phrasal verbs (Động từ kép không thể tách ra được): là các ‘động từ kép + túc từ’ mà vị
trí của danh từ hoặc đại từ luôn luôn ở sau tiểu từ.
- Ví dụ:
- I’m looking for my watch. Have you seen it? (NOT: I’m looking my watch for ...)
- Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you everywhere. (NOT: ... We’ve been looking you for
everywhere.)
- Annie ran into an old friend while she was doing shopping. (NOT: Annie ran an old friend into while
she was doing shopping.)
- I hadn’t met Lisa for years, and then I ran into her the other day. (run into sb = meet sb by chance: tình
cờ gặp)
4. Three-word verbs: là các ‘động từ kép + hai tiểu từ’. Three-word verbs là các động từ kép không thể
tách ra được (nonseparable).
- Ví dụ:
- We’ve put up with our noisy neighbors for years. (put up with: tolerate: chịu đựng)
- The machine stopped working because it ran out of fuel. (run out of = use up: hết, cạn)

B/ ‘Phrasal verbs’ rất thường được dùng trong tiếng Anh và có rất nhiều ‘phrasal verbs’ khác nhau. Sau
đây chúng ta hãy tìm hiểu một số ‘phrasal verbs’ thông dụng và thường gặp nhất.

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Chú ý: Những ‘phrasal verbs’ trong danh sách này có đánh dấu (✰) là những ‘Nonseparable phrasal
verbs’ (động từ kép KHÔNG thể tách ra được).

NUMBER PHRASAL VERB MEANING AND EXAMPLE

1 ✰ Break down - (machine, car, ...) Stop working (hỏng máy)
- Our car broke down while we nearly reached the
town.
- Lose control of feelings and start crying (mất kiểm
chế)
- He broke down and wept when he heard the news.
- Become very bad (suy sụp)
- Her health broke down under the pressure of work.
2 Break into - Enter a house or a building by force (đột nhập)
- Our neighbor’s house was broken into last night.
3 Bring about - Cause; make sth happen
- What brought about the change in his attitude?
4 Bring up (1) Rear children (Nuôi con)
- The child was brought up by his grandmother.
(2) Mention or raise a topic (đề cập một vấn đề ra)
- Please, bring this matter up at the next meeting.
5 Call at - Stop at a place for a short time (ghé lại)
- This train calls at several small stations.
6 Call back - Return a telephone call
- I’m busy at the moment – Can I call you back later?
7 Call off - Cancel (hủy bỏ)
- The match was called off because of the bad
weather.
8 Call on/upon - Formally invite or ask sb to speak
- I now call upon the chairman to address the
meeting.
9 Call up - Make a telephone call to sb
- I’ll call you up when I get home.
10 Catch up with - Reach the same position or level (bắt kịp)
- Go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you.
- After missing a term through illness, he had to work
hard to catch up with the others.
11 ✰ Check in/into = Register at a hotel or hospital
- We went out for dinner after checking into the hotel.
12 ✰ Check out (of) = Pay the bill and leave a hotel
- We must check out of our rooms by noon.
13 Cheer up = Make sb feel happier
- Mary’s unhappy – we should do something to cheer
her up.
14 Clean up = Make clean and orderly
- You must clean up the mess after the party.
15 ✰ Come across = Meet by chance
- Whose book is this? I came across it in a drawer.
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16 Cross out = Draw a line through (gạch bỏ)
- Please, cross out all the spelling mistakes in this
letter.
17 Cut down on sth = Reduce the size, amount or number (giảm bớt)
- ‘Have a cigarette?’ ‘No, thanks. I’m trying to cut
down.’
- The doctor told him to cut down on his drinking.
18 ✰ Drop by/in (on sb) = Visit informally (ghé thăm ai)
- I hope I’ll drop in on you when I’m in your town.
19 Figure out = Find the answer by reasoning (suy nghĩ để tìm ra)
- Can you figure out how to do this?
20 Fill in/out = Complete a form by writing information on it (điền)
- Every applicant must fill in/out this form and post it.
21 Fill up = Make sth completely full (đổ đầy)
- Fill up the tank with gas before going on the trip.
22 Find out = Discover information
- Watch that man and try to find out what he’s doing.
23 ✰ Get on = Progress (tiến bộ)
- How are you getting on in your new job?
24 Get on / along with = Have good relationship with (hòa đồng với)
- Do you get on/along with all the people you work
with?
25 Get over (1) Overcome (khắc phục; vượt qua)
- Laura can never get over her shyness.
(2) Recover from an illness (bình phục)
- The patient is getting over his illness quickly.
26 Give back = Return sth to sb (trả lại)
- Could you give back my book?
27 Give up = Stop permanently (từ bỏ)
- Since my father gave up smoking, his cough has
gone.
28 Go after = Chase or follow sb (đuổi theo ai)
- She left the room in tears, so I went after her.
29 ✰ Go off (1) Explode or ring (nổ hoặc reo lên)
- The gun went off while he was cleaning it.
(2) Become spoilt (bị hư, hỏng)
- Put the food in the fridge or it’ll go off.
30 ✰ Go on (1) Continue
- They went on working although it was very late.
(2) Happen
- I saw a crowd gathering and stopped to see what
was going on.
31 ✰ Go out = Leave your home to go somewhere for fun
- I don’t often go out this year because I’m too busy
with my school work.
32 ✰ Go over = Review or check carefully (duyệt lại; xem lại)
- Go over your work before you hand it in.
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33 ✰ Grow up = Become an adult (trưởng thành)
- You’ll understand this when you grow up, boy.
34 Hand in = Submit (nộp)
- When must I hand in my paper, Sir?
35 Hang up = Conclude a telephone conversation (kết thúc cuộc
gọi)
- After I hung up, I remembered what I’d wanted to
say.
36 Hold up = Delay; stop moving
- The traffic was held up because of an accident.
37 Keep out = Not enter (tránh xa, không được vào)
- The sign said ‘Private Property—Keep Out!’
38 ✰ Keep up with = Stay at the same position or level (theo kịp)
- Wages are not keeping up with inflation.
39 Let sb down = Make sb disappointed
- When he missed that penalty, he felt that he’d let the
team down.
40 Look after = Take care of or be responsible for
- My grandmother had a special maid-servant to look
after her all day.
41 ✰ Look forward to = Await with pleasure (mong chờ)
- We’re really looking forward to seeing you again.
42 Look into = Investigate (điều tra)
- The police are looking into a series of robberies.
43 Look out = Be careful
- Look out! There’s a bus coming!
44 Look up = Find information in a book (tra cứu)
- You can look up this information on the website.
45 Make up = Invent (bịa ra)
- He made up some excuse about his daughter being
sick.
46 Pay back = Return money that one borrows from sb
47 - Did he ever pay you back the $100 he owed you?
48 Pick up = Go somewhere in your car and get sb (đón ai bằng
xe)
- Can I pick you up at 5 p.m.?
49 Point out = Draw attention to sth (gây sự chú ý; chỉ rõ ra)
- He pointed out the dangers of driving alone.

50 Put away = Remove to a proper place (cất đi chỗ khác)

- Put away your books and get ready to do this test.

51 Put on = Put clothes on one's body

- He put on his jacket and went out.

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52 Put out = Extinguish a fire or cigarette (dập tắt)
- Please, put out your cigarette! I can’t stand its
smoke!

53 Put up with = Tolerate (chịu đựng)

- I can’t put up with his interference any longer!

54 Run into = Meet by chance (tình cờ gặp)

- They ran into difficulties during the test flight.

55 Run out of = Finish the supply of sth (cạn kiệt)

- Get out of here before I run out of patience!

56 Take after = Resemble (giống như)

- Tom’s very intelligent. He takes after his father.

57 Take off = (1) Remove clothes from one’s body

- He took off his shoes and put on his slippers.
= (2) (of a plane) Depart (cất cánh) (Nonseparable)
- The plane is due to take off at eight o’clock.

58 Turn up = Arrive or appear somewhere

- She invited a lot of people to her party, but only a
few turned up.

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Chú ý: Trong danh sách này, những động từ có dấu (*) là những 'Nonseparable phrasal verbs' (= Động
từ kép không thể tách ra được).

NUMBER PHRASAL VERB DEFINITION / EXAMPLE

1 *Account for = Explain
- How do you account for their strange behavior?
2 Blow up = Destroy sth with an explosion (làm nổ)
- The enemy troop intended to blow up the bridge.
3 *Break down = Lose control of one's emotions (suy sụp tinh
thần)
- She broke down when she heard the awful news.
4 *Burst into = Begin suddenly (òa lên, bùng lên)
- Fiona burst into tears when I told her that her cat
had died.
- The car burst into flames while they were driving
on the highway.
5 *Catch on (to sth) = Understand sth
- He is very quick to catch on to things.
6 *Do without = Manage without sb (xoay xở mà không cần có ai)
- My boss can't do without a secretary.
7 *Drop off = Fall into a light sleep (ngủ thiếp đi)
- I dropped off and missed the second half of the
match.
8 *Get on/off = Get into or leave a bus, a train, a plane, a ship, ...
- The bus was so crowded that I couldn't get on.
- Please, let me get off at the stop near the post
office.
9 *Get through = Be successful in an exam (thi đậu)
- Ben got through the exam although he hadn't
studied much.
10 *Get up = Leave your bed and start the day
- The alarm rang but I had difficulty getting up.
11 *Go ahead = Proceed, do what you want to do
- Dad said we could go ahead and build a tree-
house.
12 *Go away = Leave a place
- I don't want to buy anything! Please go away!
13 *Go down = Decrease or get smaller (giảm xuống)
- The number of students enrolling has slightly
gone down this year.
14 *Go up = Rise (tăng lên)
- Prices have gone up by ten per cent this year.
15 *Laugh at = Make fun of; ridicule (cười nhạo)
- They all laughed at his ridiculous costume.
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16 *Look down on = Think that one is better than sb (coi thường)
- They looked down on her because of her poor
clothes.
17 Make out = Manage to see sb/sth or read or hear sth;
distinguish
- I could just make out a figure in the darkness.
18 *Make up for = Compensate for (bồi thường)
- He brought her some flowers to make up for
arriving late.
19 *Name after = Give a baby the name of sb else (đặt tên theo ai)
- This plant was named after the biologist who
found it.
20 *Pass away = Die
- The old man passed away in peace.
21 Put off = Postpone (hoãn lại)
- He put off going to see the dentist until his
toothache got worse.
22 Take in = (1) Fool, deceive (đánh lừa)
- The bogus official was so convincing that he took
everyone in.
= (2) Understand everything (hiểu rõ)
- Halfway through the chapter I realized I hadn’t
taken anything in.
23 Take up = Start a job or a hobby
- He takes up his duties next week.
- I took up water-skiing during a seaside holiday.
24 Throw away = Get rid of sth that you no longer want (vứt bỏ)
- Let throw away those old chairs and get some
new ones.
25 Turn on/off = Start or stop an electrical device working
- Can you turn on the fan? It’s very hot in here.
- If the red light flashes, turn off the machine
immediately.
26 Wash up = Wash the dishes and cutlery (rửa chén bát)
- If you clear the table, I’ll wash up.
27 Wear sb out = Make sb exhausted (làm ai mệt nhòai)
- Doing all this digging really wears me out.
28 Work out = Think about a problem and find the answer
- I just can’t work out the answer to this sum.

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