Phrasal Verbs in Spanish: Meanings and Examples

Posted on Jan 24, 2025 in Administration and Management

Relationship and Feelings

  • Romper (relación) = To break up, to split up
  • Recuperarse de = To get over, to recover from
  • Deprimir = To get somebody down, to depress somebody
  • Decepcionar = To let somebody down, to disappoint
  • Desanimar = To put off, to discourage
  • Derrumbarse (emocionalmente) = To break down, to collapse

Actions and Events

  • Causar = To bring on/about, to cause
  • Posponer = To put off, to postpone
  • Tolerar = To put up with, to stand, to tolerate
  • Subir (precios) = To put up, to raise
  • Huir = To run away, to flee
  • Hospedar = To put up, to accommodate, to lodge
  • Pasar por = To go through, to suffer
  • Dejar de = To give up, to stop, to quit
  • Partir = To set out, to set off, to leave
  • Revelar = To give away, to reveal
  • Convertirse en = To turn into, to become
  • Apagar (fuego) = To put out, to extinguish
  • Colocar = To put away, to tidy up
  • Explotar = To blow up, to explode
  • Demoler = To pull down, to demolish
  • Inventar = To make up, to invent
  • Quitarse = To take off, to undress
  • Chocar contra = To crash into, to bump into
  • Suceder (sorpresa) = To come up, to happen
  • Aparecer (sorpresa) = To turn up, to pop up
  • Robar en (casa) = To break into, to burgle

People and Interactions

  • Parecerse a = To take after, to look like
  • Admirar = To look up to, to admire
  • Educar = To bring up, to raise, to educate
  • Cuidar de = To look after, to care for
  • Recoger = To pick somebody up, to collect
  • Emplear = To take on, to employ
  • Engañar a alguien = To take somebody in, to deceive
  • Empezar a gustar = To take to, to begin to like

Searching and Finding

  • Buscar = To look for, to search for, to seek
  • Encontrarse con = To come across, to meet
  • Investigar = To look into, to research

Other Common Phrasal Verbs

  • Continuar = To go on, to carry on, to continue
  • Gastar (dinero) = To get through, to spend
  • Solucionar = To sort out, to solve
  • Reintroducir = To bring back, to reintroduce
  • Apañárselas = To get by, to manage
  • Hacerse cargo de = To see to, to take charge of
  • Calcular = To work out, to reckon, to calculate
  • Ceder = To give in, to surrender
  • Tener sentido = To add up, to make sense
  • Aterrizar = To touch down, to land
  • Considerar = To look on, to consider
  • Repasar = To go over, to run through, to revise
  • Ponerse malo (comida) = To go off, to go bad
  • Tomar parte en = To join in, to take part in
  • Sacar a relucir = To point out, to emphasize
  • Significar = To stand for, to mean
  • Tener cuidado con = To look/watch out for
  • Pasar sin = To do/go without
  • Extinguirse = To die out, to become extinct
  • Dormirse = To doze off, to fall asleep
  • Llevar a cabo = To carry out, to accomplish
  • Reducir = To cut down (on), to reduce
  • Volver en sí = To come round, to regain consciousness
  • Rechazar = To turn down, to reject
  • Escapar de = To run away from, to flee
  • Durar = To go on, to last