English for Spanish speakers · part 20 of 22
Phrasal verbs with Spanish equivalents
Phrasal verbs — a verb plus a particle like up, off, or over — are among the hardest parts of English, because the particle changes the meaning completely. Spanish has nothing quite like them, so they must be learned as vocabulary. Grouping by base verb makes the load manageable.
Base verb: GET
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| get up | rise from bed | levantarse | I get up at seven. |
| get off | leave a bus/train | bajarse | Get off at the next stop. |
| get over | recover from | superar | She got over the flu. |
| get away | escape | escaparse | The thief got away. |
| get along | have a good relationship | llevarse bien | They get along well. |
| get by | manage/survive with what you have | arreglárselas | I can get by with basic Spanish. |
| get in | enter a vehicle | subirse | Get in, I'll drive you. |
| get out | leave/exit | salir | Get out of the car. |
| get on | board (bus/train/plane) | subir(se) | We got on the plane at 9 AM. |
| get back | return | volver | We got back home late. |
| get back | recover (something) | recuperar | I got my money back. |
| get through | finish | terminar | I got through the book in one day. |
| get through | survive a difficult time | superar | She got through the breakup. |
| get through to | reach someone by phone | comunicarse con | I got through to him finally. |
| get together | meet up | reunirse | Let's get together next week. |
| get across | communicate clearly | hacer entender | I got my point across. |
| get ahead | make progress | avanzar/progresar | Studying hard helps you get ahead. |
| get at | imply/suggest | insinuar | What are you getting at? |
| get away with | escape punishment | salirse con la suya | He got away with lying. |
| get over with | finish something unpleasant | terminar de una vez | Let's get the exam over with. |
| get round to | find time to do something | encontrar tiempo para | I'll get round to it tomorrow. |
| get into | become interested in | interesarse por | I'm getting into photography. |
| get out of | avoid doing something | evitar/esquivar | She got out of doing the dishes. |
| get on with | continue / have a good relationship | seguir / llevarse bien con | Get on with your work. / I get on with my boss. |
The same word, get, means two dozen different things depending on the particle — which is exactly why phrasal verbs cannot be decoded from their parts. Note the pairs that share a form but split by sense (get back = return or recover; get through = finish or survive), and the three-part verbs at the end, where a second preposition shifts the meaning again (get away → get away with). Teach them in sets like this one, with the Spanish equivalent as an anchor, and the meanings stop feeling arbitrary.