Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Phrasal verbs combine a simple verb with a particle to create a brand-new, often idiomatic meaning that differs from the original words.
- The meaning is often idiomatic; 'give up' doesn't mean 'give' in an upward direction.
- Particles like 'up', 'off', or 'out' change the verb's core action into a specific result.
- Many phrasal verbs have multiple meanings depending on the context, like 'take off' (plane vs. clothes).
Overview
Phrasal Verbs（句動詞）です。日本語には、動詞に「助詞」や「副詞」をくっつけて全く新しい意味を作るという文法構造がありません。日本語では「捨てる」「探す」「断る」のように、一つの動詞で意味が完結することがほとんどです。しかし、英語ではgive up（諦める）、look for（探す）、turn down（断る）のように、動詞と前置詞・副詞がセットになって一つの単語のように機能します。Phrasal Verbsを使っているからです。例えば、ビジネスの就活や会議の場でも「検討する」をinvestigateと言うと少し硬すぎる場合があります。同僚との会話ならlook intoを使うのが非常に自然です。この「自然さ」を身につけることは、B1レベルから一段上のステップへ進むための鍵となります。日本語の「動詞＋動詞」の複合動詞（例：食べ終わる、書き直す）とは異なり、英語の句動詞は「動詞＋前置詞/副詞」という組み合わせで、元の動詞の意味を大きく変容させる点が特徴です。この仕組みを理解することで、単語を丸暗記するのではなく、イメージで英語を捉えることができるようになります。Phrasal Verbsの核となるのは「セマンティック・リコンポジション（意味の再構成）」です。例えばtakeは「取る」という意味ですが、take offになると「離陸する」「脱ぐ」「急に成功する」といった意味に変化します。ここで重要なのは、offを単なる「離れる」という前置詞として見るのではなく、動詞とセットで一つの新しい「意味の塊」として認識することです。Phrasal Verbsにおけるoffやupは、文法的な役割だけでなく、動詞の「意味の方向性」を決定づける役割を持っています。例えばbreak downは「故障する」ですが、これはbreak（壊す）という動詞にdown（下へ、機能停止）という副詞的イメージが加わることで、「機能が停止する」という状態を表しています。これは日本語の「壊れる」という自動詞一つでは表現しきれない、英語特有の「動きのニュアンス」を表現する手段なのです。学習の際は、up＝「完全に」、out＝「外へ、または消滅」というイメージを掴むことが大切です。これは日本語の「～しきる」「～し尽くす」という補助動詞に近い感覚で捉えると理解がスムーズです。turn off the light / turn the light off |look after the baby (× look the baby after) |get along with my friend |- 1分離可能な句動詞:
turn off,pick up,give upなど。名詞が目的語ならturn the light offでもturn off the lightでもOKですが、代名詞（it, them）を使う場合は必ずturn it offと間に挟む必要があります。これは「代名詞は動詞のすぐ近くに置きたい」という英語の心理的な距離感が関係しています。 - 2分離不可能な句動詞:
look after,deal withなど。これらは動詞と前置詞が非常に強く結びついており、間に何かを入れることはできません。 - 33語句動詞:
put up with（我慢する）など。これらは非常に強力な結びつきを持っており、常にセットで使われます。
Phrasal Verbsは、カジュアルな場面から少し丁寧なビジネスシーンまで幅広く使われます。例えば、コンビニで店員さんと話す時、あるいは職場の先輩と休憩室で話す時など、日常のあらゆる場面で登場します。- 日常会話: 友達に「今日、仕事終わったら何する？」と聞くとき、
What are you doing after work?よりもWhat are you up to after work?の方が自然でこなれた印象を与えます。 - ビジネスでの進捗報告:
I will investigate this issue.は少し堅苦しいですが、I will look into this issue.と言うと、相手との距離が縮まり、協力的な姿勢が伝わります。 - SNSやLINE:
check out this post!（この投稿チェックして！）のように、短くリズムの良い表現として非常に重宝されます。
look forward to（楽しみにする）のような表現は、メールやSNSで頻出するため、意識して使うだけで表現の幅が劇的に広がります。- 1代名詞の位置間違い: 日本語には「目的語を動詞と助詞の間に挟む」という概念がないため、
pick up itのように言ってしまう人が非常に多いです。英語ではpick it upが絶対ルールです。これは「代名詞はすでに文脈で分かっている情報なので、動詞のすぐ後ろに置きたい」という英語の語順に対する感覚の差が原因です。 - 2前置詞の混同:
look for（探す）とlook after（世話をする）を混同するケースです。日本語では「探す」も「世話する」も動詞一つですが、英語では前置詞が意味を決定するため、ここが曖昧だと全く違う意味で伝わってしまいます。 - 3フォーマルな場での過剰使用: 句動詞は便利ですが、論文や契約書などの非常にフォーマルな文書では避けるべきです。例えば
postponeをput offと書くと、子供っぽい印象を与えてしまいます。日本語の敬語の使い分けと同じで、TPOに合わせた使い分けが求められます。
look into | investigate | 調査する |find out | discover | 発見する・知る |put off | postpone | 延期する |give up | surrender | 諦める・降伏する |up, off, out, onなど、よく使われる副詞を伴うものから優先的に覚えましょう。イメージで捉えることが近道です。upはどう違いますか？eat up（食べきる）、use up（使いきる）などは、日本語の感覚とほぼ一致します。この感覚を他の句動詞にも広げてみてください。Conjugating Phrasal Verbs (Example: 'Look up')
| Tense | Subject | Verb Form | Particle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
I / You / We
|
look
|
up
|
I look up words.
|
|
Present Simple
|
He / She / It
|
looks
|
up
|
She looks up words.
|
|
Past Simple
|
All subjects
|
looked
|
up
|
They looked up words.
|
|
Present Continuous
|
I
|
am looking
|
up
|
I am looking up words.
|
|
Future (will)
|
All subjects
|
will look
|
up
|
We will look up words.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
He / She
|
has looked
|
up
|
He has looked up words.
|
Phrasal Nouns (Derived from Phrasal Verbs)
| Phrasal Verb | Phrasal Noun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
|
To work out
|
A workout
|
A session of exercise
|
|
To set back
|
A setback
|
A delay or obstacle
|
|
To break down
|
A breakdown
|
A failure of a machine
|
|
To setup
|
A setup
|
The way something is organized
|
Meanings
A phrasal verb is a combination of a standard verb (like 'go', 'break', or 'get') and a particle (a preposition or adverb) that functions as a single semantic unit.
Literal Movement
The particle indicates a physical direction or location that complements the verb's action.
“She walked out of the room.”
“Please put the book down on the table.”
Idiomatic/Figurative
The combination creates a new meaning that cannot be guessed by looking at the individual words.
“I hope they don't break up after the argument.”
“You should give up smoking for your health.”
Aspectual/Completion
The particle (often 'up') indicates that an action is finished, thorough, or completely done.
“Drink up your juice!”
“Clean up your room before the guests arrive.”
Reference Table
| 句動詞 | 意味 | 例文 | タイプ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
**get up**
|
起きる
|
I `get up` at 7 AM every day.
|
Inseparable
|
|
**turn on**
|
～を点ける
|
Please `turn on` the lights.
|
Separable
|
|
**look for**
|
～を探す
|
Are you `looking for` your keys?
|
Inseparable
|
|
**call off**
|
～を中止する
|
They had to `call off` the meeting.
|
Separable
|
|
**take off**
|
～を脱ぐ
|
He `took off` his jacket.
|
Separable
|
|
**put on**
|
～を着る
|
She `put on` her favorite dress.
|
Separable
|
|
**break down**
|
故障する
|
My car `broke down` on the highway.
|
Inseparable
|
|
**figure out**
|
～を理解する／解決する
|
Can you `figure out` this puzzle?
|
Separable
|
|
**hang out**
|
ぶらぶら過ごす
|
Let's `hang out` at the coffee shop.
|
Inseparable
|
|
**give up**
|
あきらめる
|
Don't `give up` on your dreams!
|
Separable
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
The committee decided to cancel the symposium. (Workplace/Event planning)
They decided to call off the meeting. (Workplace/Event planning)
They've scrapped the meeting. (Workplace/Event planning)
They binned the meet. (Workplace/Event planning)
レベル別の例文
Please sit down.
Por favor, siéntate.
I get up at 7 AM.
Me levanto a las 7 AM.
Turn off the light.
Apaga la luz.
Come in, please!
¡Entra, por favor!
He put on his coat.
Él se puso su abrigo.
We ran out of bread.
Nos quedamos sin pan.
Can you fill out this form?
¿Puedes rellenar este formulario?
I'm looking for my keys.
Estoy buscando mis llaves.
The meeting was called off.
La reunión fue cancelada.
I need to look into this problem.
Necesito investigar este problema.
Don't give up on your dreams.
No te rindas con tus sueños.
She takes after her grandmother.
Ella se parece a su abuela.
I need to brush up on my French.
Necesito refrescar mi francés.
He managed to get his point across.
Él logró transmitir su punto de vista.
The car broke down on the highway.
El coche se averió en la autopista.
I'll look after the kids tonight.
Cuidaré a los niños esta noche.
We need to iron out the final details.
Necesitamos resolver los últimos detalles.
The news really weighed him down.
La noticia realmente lo agobió.
He's always playing down his achievements.
Él siempre resta importancia a sus logros.
I can't make out what he's saying.
No puedo distinguir lo que está diciendo.
The government is cracking down on tax evasion.
El gobierno está tomando medidas enérgicas contra la evasión fiscal.
She has a knack for sussing out the truth.
Ella tiene un don para descubrir la verdad.
The effects of the policy will phase out over time.
Los efectos de la política se eliminarán gradualmente con el tiempo.
He's just trying to egg you on.
Él solo está tratando de incitarte.
間違えやすい
Learners confuse phrasal verbs (idiomatic) with verbs that just happen to have a preposition (literal).
One phrasal verb can have 5+ meanings.
There is no easy rule to know which is which.
よくある間違い
I get up me at 8.
I get up at 8.
Sit you down.
Sit down.
I look my keys.
I am looking for my keys.
Go out from the room.
Go out of the room.
Turn off it.
Turn it off.
I will look after to you.
I will look after you.
He is looking his brother.
He is looking for his brother.
I ran out the milk.
I ran out of milk.
The car broke down itself.
The car broke down.
I look forward to meet you.
I look forward to meeting you.
He brought the topic up to the meeting.
He brought the topic up at the meeting.
文型パターン
I need to ___ my ___.
He ___ because his car ___.
I'm really looking forward to ___.
It's hard to ___ all the ___.
Real World Usage
Hey, what are you up to? Want to hang out?
I'm looking for a role where I can take on more responsibility.
I'll eat in, but can you wrap up the leftovers?
Check out my new vlog! Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter.
We need to check in two hours before the flight takes off.
Try to log out and log back in again.
文脈が大切！
I need to look up this word.
分離型と非分離型に注意！
turn it off はOKだけど turn off it はNG）。名詞なら自由度が高いこともあります。塊で覚えよう！
カジュアルな会話を楽しもう！
小さく始めよう！
フォーマルな文章では避けて！
Smart Tips
Check if it means 'completely' or 'finished'.
Always put the pronoun in the middle of the phrasal verb.
Swap the phrasal verb for its Latinate equivalent.
Look at the particle first to guess the 'mood' of the verb.
発音
Particle Stress
In phrasal verbs, the stress usually falls on the particle, not the verb.
Linking
If the verb ends in a consonant and the particle starts with a vowel, they link together.
Phrasal Verb vs. Noun
To work OUT (verb) vs. A WORKout (noun)
Stress the particle for the verb; stress the first syllable for the noun.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Think of the particle as the 'flavor' of the verb. The verb is the meat, but the particle is the sauce that changes the whole dish.
視覚的連想
Imagine a light switch for 'Turn on/off'. Imagine a plane lifting its nose for 'Take off'. Imagine a person throwing their hands in the air for 'Give up'.
Rhyme
When 'it' is the word you choose to say, in the middle it must stay!
Story
I woke up and put on my shoes. I set off for work but my car broke down. I had to call off the meeting and hang out at the garage instead.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Look around your room and find 5 actions you can describe with phrasal verbs (e.g., 'pick up the pen', 'turn on the lamp'). Say them out loud using pronouns ('pick it up').
文化メモ
Brits often use 'ring up' or 'phone up' where Americans just say 'call'. They also use 'reckon on' more frequently.
Americans use 'fill out' for forms, while Brits often say 'fill in'. Americans also use 'figure out' very broadly.
Aussies use 'rock up' to mean arrive, often unexpectedly.
Phrasal verbs are a core feature of Germanic languages. When the Normans invaded England in 1066, they brought French (Latinate) verbs, but the common people kept using Germanic verb-particle combinations.
会話のきっかけ
What time do you usually wake up on weekends?
Have you ever had to call off an important plan?
Who do you take after more, your mother or your father?
If you could phase out one annoying habit in the world, what would it be?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
I need to `look ___` my keys; I can't find them anywhere.
正しい文を選びましょう:
Find and fix the mistake:
Can you pick the kids up from school?
英語に翻訳しましょう：「Cancelaron la reunión debido a la tormenta.」
Answer starts with: ["T...
Score: /4
練習問題
8 exercisesThe plane finally ___ after a two-hour delay.
I need to look ___ the meaning of this word in the dictionary.
Find and fix the mistake:
Please turn off it before you leave.
They had to cancel the match because of rain. (Use 'call')
1. Break up, 2. Break down, 3. Break out
In the phrasal verb 'look forward to', the word 'to' is followed by the -ing form of the verb.
A: 'I'm so tired of this noise!' B: 'I don't know how you ___ it.'
Identify the inseparable phrasal verb.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesPlease `put ___` your coat; it's cold outside.
正しい文を選びましょう：
これらの単語を並べ替えて文を作りましょう：
I accidentally `___` an old friend from high school at the mall.
She looked the information up on her phone.
英語に翻訳しましょう：「Tengo que averiguar cómo funciona.」
句動詞を正しい意味と結びつけましょう：
これらの単語を並べ替えて文を作りましょう：
We need to look the situation into.
正しい文を選びましょう：
英語に翻訳しましょう：「Ella se negó a seguir con el plan.」
句動詞をその定義と結びつけましょう：
Score: /12
よくある質問 (8)
Because they consist of a phrase (two or more words) that acts as a single verb. The meaning belongs to the whole phrase, not the individual words.
There are thousands! However, you only need about 100-200 to be very fluent in daily conversation.
It depends. Some are okay (like `carry out` a study), but generally, it's better to use single verbs like `conduct` or `investigate` in very formal academic papers.
Unfortunately, no perfect rule exists. However, most 3-word phrasal verbs (like `get along with`) are always inseparable.
It usually changes the meaning completely. `Look for` is searching; `look after` is caring. Using the wrong one will confuse people!
They are very common in Germanic languages like German and Dutch, but rare in Romance languages like Spanish or Italian.
This is an 'aspectual' use. In English, 'up' often suggests reaching a limit or finishing something, like `drink up` or `use up`.
Lists can help, but it's much better to learn them in context (stories or videos) so you see how they are actually used.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Prefixes or single verbs
Spanish verbs change meaning via prefixes, not separate words.
Trennbare Verben
In German, the particle often goes to the very end of the clause.
Single Latinate verbs
French speakers often find phrasal verbs redundant or confusing.
Fukugo-doshi (Compound verbs)
Japanese compounds are always joined, never separated by an object.
Verbs with fixed prepositions
The meaning remains more literal in Arabic.
Resultative Verb Compounds
Chinese resultatives are strictly about the outcome, not idiomatic metaphors.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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ネイティブが本当に使う「句動詞」20選！これさえ覚えれば会話が続く！
英語を話せるようになるための英語塾
ネイティブがめちゃくちゃ使う「句動詞」！【超基礎編】
リアルな英語を話せるようになる英会話レッスン
コレを知るだけで英語の表現力が倍増！【句動詞の基本】
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