Common English Phrasal Verbs with Hindi Meanings
Phrasal verbs such as give up, look after and turn off are a challenge for learners. Here are the most useful ones with Hindi meanings and examples.
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word (a preposition or adverb) that together make a new meaning. They are extremely common in spoken English and are often hard to guess.
Why they are tricky
Take give up. The word give means देना and up means ऊपर, but together give up means छोड़ देना (to quit). You can't work it out word by word.
Useful phrasal verbs
| Phrasal verb | Hindi meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| give up | छोड़ देना | Don't give up. — हार मत मानो। |
| look after | देखभाल करना | She looks after her mother. — वह अपनी माँ की देखभाल करती है। |
| look for | ढूँढ़ना | I'm looking for my keys. — मैं अपनी चाबियाँ ढूँढ़ रहा हूँ। |
| turn on | चालू करना | Turn on the light. — बत्ती जलाओ। |
| turn off | बंद करना | Turn off the fan. — पंखा बंद करो। |
| put on | पहनना | Put on your shoes. — जूते पहनो। |
| take off | उतारना | Take off your cap. — टोपी उतारो। |
| pick up | उठाना | Pick up the bag. — बैग उठाओ। |
| find out | पता लगाना | I will find out. — मैं पता लगाऊँगा। |
| carry on | जारी रखना | Carry on working. — काम जारी रखो। |
| wake up | जागना, उठना | I wake up at six. — मैं छह बजे उठता हूँ। |
| come back | वापस आना | Come back soon. — जल्दी वापस आओ। |
Separable and inseparable
Some phrasal verbs let you put the object in the middle:
- Turn the light off. / Turn off the light.
Others don't:
- Look after the children. (not look the children after)
When the object is a pronoun, it usually goes in the middle: Turn it off.
How to learn them
- Learn a few at a time, not the entire list.
- Learn them in sentences.
- Group them by verb (e.g. all the take phrases).
- Look up each one in the dictionary to check examples.
Translation tip
Hindi often uses a compound verb, such as छोड़ देना (leave-give) or उठा लेना (pick-take), where English uses a phrasal verb. It helps to see them as similar tools.
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