Phrasal Verbs 1 — Introduction
Structure · Special meanings · Preposition combos · Object position
Verbes à Particule 1 — Introduction
Structure · Sens particuliers · Combos de prépositions · Position du complément
What phrasal verbs are, how they get special meanings (break down, give up, find out), how to add prepositions, and the critical pronoun-placement rule.
Ce que sont les verbes à particule, leur sens particulier, la combinaison avec des prépositions, et la règle cruciale sur la position des pronoms.
A phrasal verb is a verb + a particle (on, off, up, down, out, away, back, by, through, round, forward, along, over). The particle often creates a completely new meaning: give up ≠ give + up. Learn phrasal verbs as fixed units — and master the rule for placing objects.
Un verbe à particule est un verbe + une particule. La particule crée souvent un sens entièrement nouveau : give up ≠ give + up. Apprenez-les comme des unités fixes.
Phrasal Verbs with Movement Particles
Verbes à Particule de Mouvement
With verbs of movement the particle describes direction — the meaning is usually transparent:
Avec les verbes de mouvement, la particule décrit une direction — le sens est généralement transparent :
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example | Verbe | Sens | Exemple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| get on | board (bus/train) | monter dans | The bus was full. We couldn’t get on. | ||
| drive off | leave by car | partir en voiture | She got in and drove off. | ||
| come back | return | revenir | Sarah is leaving tomorrow and coming back Saturday. | ||
| turn round | face the other way | se retourner | I touched him and he turned round. | ||
| sit down | take a seat | s’asseoir | I’m tired. I need to sit down. | ||
| speak up | talk more loudly | parler plus fort | Can you speak up? I can’t hear you. | ||
| get out | leave / escape | sortir / s’échapper | We were trapped. We couldn’t get out. |
Special (Idiomatic) Meanings
Sens Particuliers (Idiomatiques)
These must be learned as units — the particle creates a non-literal meaning:
Ces expressions doivent être apprises comme des unités — la particule crée un sens non littéral :
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example | Verbe | Sens | Exemple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| break down | stop working (machine) | tomber en panne | Sorry I’m late — the car broke down. | ||
| find out | discover a fact | découvrir / apprendre | I never found out who sent the flowers. | ||
| take off | plane leaves the ground | décoller | I was nervous as the plane took off. | ||
| give up | stop trying / quit | abandonner / arrêter | I tried many times, but finally gave up. | ||
| get on | progress / manage | s’en sortir / progresser | How did you get on at the interview? | ||
| get by | manage with limited resources | se débrouiller | My French isn’t great, but enough to get by. | ||
| go up | increase / rise | augmenter / monter | Prices have gone up again. |
I gave up trying. (= stopped trying)
How did you get on? (= how did things go?) The car broke down. (= est tombée en panne)
I gave up trying. (= a abandonné)
How did you get on? (= comment ça s’est passé ?)
Phrasal Verb + Preposition
Verbe à Particule + Préposition
| Phrasal Verb + Prep | Verbe + Particule + Prép | Example | Exemple |
|---|---|---|---|
| look up at | We looked up at the plane as it flew above us. | ||
| run away from | Why did you run away from me? | ||
| keep up with | You’re too fast. I can’t keep up with you. | ||
| look forward to | Are you looking forward to your trip? | ||
| get away with | The robbers got away with £50,000. | ||
| find out about | How did you find out about the plan? |
I’m looking forward to seeing you. (‘to’ = preposition → verb -ing)
I can’t keep up with you. I’m looking forward to the weekend. (JAMAIS ‘looking forward for’)
I’m looking forward to seeing you. (‘to’ = préposition → verbe -ing)
I can’t keep up with you.
Object Position — Noun vs Pronoun
Position du Complément — Nom vs Pronom
Noun → 2 positions ✓
Nom → 2 positions ✓
Pronoun → middle ONLY ✓
Pronom → milieu SEULEMENT ✓
Turn it on. · Wake her up. · Give it back. · Switch them off.
✗ Turn on it. ✗ Wake up her. ✗ Give back it. LA RÈGLE : Pronom (it/them/me/him/her/us) → DOIT aller ENTRE le verbe et la particule.
Turn it on. · Wake her up. · Give it back. · Switch them off.
Complete each sentence with a verb + particle from the box.
Complétez avec un verbe + particule du cadre.
break down · come back · fly off · get by · get on · go up · look round · sit down · speak up · take off
Add the missing particle + preposition combination.
Ajoutez la combinaison particule + préposition manquante.
Complete using these phrasal verbs + it / them / me.
Complétez avec ces verbes à particule + it / them / me.
get out · give back · switch on · take off · throw away · wake up
Place the word in brackets in the correct position.
Placez le mot entre parenthèses à la bonne position.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions Fréquentes
When the object is a pronoun (it, them, me, him, her, us), it MUST go between the verb and the particle. ✓ Turn it on. ✓ Wake her up. ✗ Turn on it. ✗ Wake up her.
Quand le complément est un pronom, il DOIT se placer entre le verbe et la particule. ✓ Turn it on. ✗ Turn on it.
Always looking forward to seeing. The ‘to’ in ‘look forward to’ is a preposition, NOT part of an infinitive. After a preposition, verbs take -ing: ✓ I’m looking forward to seeing you. ✗ I’m looking forward to see you.
Toujours looking forward to seeing. Le ‘to’ est une préposition, donc le verbe qui suit prend -ing.
Break down has several meanings: (1) a machine stops working: The car broke down. (2) talks/a system fail: Negotiations broke down. (3) someone starts crying: She broke down in tears. (4) analyse into parts: Break the data down by category.
Break down : (1) une machine tombe en panne ; (2) des négociations échouent ; (3) quelqu’un éclate en sanglots ; (4) analyser en parties.
Get on = progress or manage in a situation: How did you get on at the interview? Get by = survive or manage with limited resources: I only have £50 — enough to get by.
Get on = progresser ou s’en sortir dans une situation. Get by = se débrouiller avec peu de ressources.
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