Do you know what a phrasal verb is? According to the Oxford Language Dictionary, it is "an idiomatic phrase consisting of a verb and another element, typically either an adverb... a preposition... or a combination..." Some common examples of the countless English phrasal verbs are "break down," "break up, "put in," "put on," and so forth, and while there are far less phrasal verbs in Spanish, there are many common ones it would behoove you to know. For this purpose, we have comprised a list of 35 with examples from Yabla's Spanish video library.
While some Spanish phrasal verbs can be translated literally into English, others employ a different preposition than their English counterparts or have totally different literal translations. With this in mind, let's look at the list.
The verb acabar (to finish) plus the preposition de (from/of) plus an infinitive Spanish verb (the "to" or -ing form) means that one "has just" completed some action. Let's take a look:
Acabamos de disfrutar de Jarabe de Palo.
We just enjoyed Jarabe de Palo.
Caption 25, Tu Música Rock en español
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The reflexive verb acordarse de is a synonym for recordar (to remember) in Spanish. Both are used to talk about what one "remembers" or "remembers to" do:
Me acuerdo de estar aquí con mi perro,
I remember being here with my dog
Caption 53, Amaya Recordando - Part 1
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The reflexive verb acostumbrarse plus the preposition a means "to get used to" or "accustomed to" something:
y nos acostumbramos a ir a playas,
and we got used to going to beaches,
Caption 40, El coronavirus La cuarentena en Coro, Venezuela - Part 1
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Yet another reflexive verb, alegrarse de, is used to talk about one being happy or pleased about something. You will often see it alongside the conjunction que plus a verb in the subjunctive mood, as we see below:
Me alegro de que le guste.
I'm glad you like it.
Caption 15, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 2
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Although caer bien literally means "to fall well," like the verb gustar, it is used to describe the idea of "liking." Like gustar and other verbs like gustar, it is usually employed with an indirect object pronoun in sentences where, grammatically speaking, it is the object of the sentence (what is liked) that performs the action. Let's see an example:
Creo que a Lola no le cae bien.
I think Lola doesn't like her.
Caption 60, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 6
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You might have guessed that caer mal (literally "to fall badly") means the opposite of caer bien and functions similarly to convey the idea that one does not like someone or something:
Creo que le caigo mal a mi jefe.
I think that my boss doesn't like me.
Caption 21, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional
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Interestingly, while we get married "to" someone in English, the Spanish verb for "to marry" contains the preposition con, making its translation "'to marry with":
El príncipe se casó con ella
The prince married her
Caption 61, Cleer La princesa y el guisante
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Whereas the Spanish verb contar by itself can have such diverse meanings as "to tell" and "to count," with the preposition con, it means "to count on" (not with!).
Sabes que puedes contar con todas en cualquier momento, en cualquier necesidad que tengamos.
You know that you can count on all of them at any time, for any need that we might have.
Captions 28-29, Mari Carmen La amistad
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As you can see, the phrasal verb dar con does not mean "to give with"! Let's see its correct translation in an example sentence:
Ayer di con mis zapatos.
Yesterday I found my shoes.
Caption 26, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar
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As our friend Carolina explains in her video on the verb dar, which means "to give" on its own, the phrasal verb dar por can mean different things when used with an adjective vs. a participle. Let's see an example of each:
A su marido lo dieron por muerto en la guerra.
Her husband was presumed dead in the war.
Caption 32, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar
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Doy la fiesta por terminada.
I consider the party finished.
Caption 30, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar
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In this case, the reflexive form of the verb dar is employed along with the noun prisa (hurry/rush) to mean "to hurry" or "hurry up":
Pues, dese prisa, se lo está llevando la grúa.
Well, hurry up, the tow truck is taking it.
Caption 38, Los casos de Yabla El perrito malcriado - Part 2
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The Spanish verb dejar plus de plus an infinitive verb means "to stop" or "quit" doing something:
"Mi marido dejó de fumar hace ya cuatro años".
"My husband quit smoking four years ago now."
Caption 26, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados del verbo dejar - Part 2
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We should mention that the negative version of this phrasal verb, no dejar de, can be utilized to express the idea of "always," as we see here:
no deja de haber muchísima gente.
there are always a ton of people.
Caption 18, Con Marta por Madrid La Plaza del Sol - Part 1
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The Spanish version of "to depend on" would be "to depend of" if translated literally:
depende de la porción que vayan a hacer;
it depends on the portion you're going to make;
Caption 27, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Karla y el pozole - Part 2
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Similarly, one falls in love "of" someone instead of "with" them in Spanish:
Me enamoré de un chico, que es el padre de mis hijos,
I fell in love with a guy, who is the father of my children,
Caption 11, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Adriana y la fiesta de los muertos - Part 1
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While encontrarse con sounds like it would mean "to find oneself with," its actual meaning is "to get together" or "meet up with" (which is not too far off!):
Y "anteayer" me encontré con unas amigas,
And "the day before yesterday," I met up with some friends,
Caption 12, Aprendiendo con Silvia Horas, fechas y períodos de tiempo - Part 3
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The Spanish verb echar can have different meanings from "to throw" to "to fire." In conjunction with the preposition a and a verb in the infinitive, however, it means "to start to" do something, usually in a sudden fashion. Let's see two examples:
Se asustó, echó a correr y no hubo manera de cogerlo.
It got scared, it took off running, and there was no way to get it.
Caption 62, Soledad Positivo y negativo
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El marido se echó a reír al ver la cara de sorpresa de su esposa.
The husband burst out laughing when he saw his wife's surprised face.
Caption 32, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama
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We bet you wouldn't guess that something that seems to mean "to throw of less" is a synonym for extrañar (to miss) in Spanish:
Ay, yo os he echado de menos.
Oh, I've missed you.
Caption 4, Con Marta por Madrid El Palacio Real y Doña Manolita - Part 1
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Estar para literally means "to be for," which is pretty close to its English equivalents "to be up for" or "in the mood" for something:
Es que ya no estoy para tantas vueltas y me siento cansado.
It's just that I am not up for so many rounds and I feel tired.
Caption 44, Guillermina y Candelario El parque de diversiones - Part 1
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Estar por, in contrast, typically means "to be in" or "around" some area or, when accompanied by an infinitive, becomes a phrasal verb that means "to be about to" do something. Let's see an example of each of these uses:
Yo estaba por ahí, todavía estaba caminando, ¿no?
I was around there, still walking, right?
Caption 21, Federico Kauffman Doig Arqueólogo - Part 3
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que todo está por... por... por empezar,
when everything is about to... to... to start,
Caption 65, Amaya Recordando - Part 3
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While hablar alone means "to speak" or "to talk," if you want to express the idea of "talking about" something, use the Spanish phrasal verb hablar de:
Mi amiga Amaya os habló de este lugar maravilloso
My friend Amaya talked to you about this wonderful place,
Caption 7, Montserrat El burrito Luz
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Since the Spanish phrasal verb llevar a cabo can be literally translated as "to take to the ending," it makes sense that its various English equivalents include "to carry out," "do," "perform" and "accomplish":
Para llevar a cabo estas funciones se necesitan tres figuras claves en el proceso terapéutico:
To carry out these roles, three key figures are needed in the therapeutic process:
Captions 35-36, Isabel Lavesa Terapia asistida con animales
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Although the idea of "forgetting" in Spanish is often expressed as a no fault construction (something more like "it slipped my mind"), the more straightforward way to say that one forgot something in Spanish is with the Spanish phrasal verb olvidarse de:
¡Ah! Me olvidé de estos dos elementos.
Oh! I forgot these two items.
Caption 63, Dayana Rutina de belleza y aseo
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Like the English "think of" or "about," the Spanish phrasal verb pensar de is used to talk about the belief or opinion one has of something or someone.
¿Qué piensas de tu nuevo jefe?
What do you think of your new boss?
Caption 77, Carlos explica Tuteo, ustedeo y voseo: Conjugación
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Pensar en, on the other hand (literally "to think on") is used to talk about one's process of thinking "about" something:
pensamos en un país, en una época, en un pueblo.
we think about a country, an era, a people.
Caption 3, Silvina Una entrevista con la artista
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Similar to echar a, ponerse a plus an infinitive verb refers to "starting" an action.
y al verlas como antes se puso a bailar."
and when she saw them like before, she started to dance."
Caption 60, Cleer Rafael Pombo y "Pastorcita"
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If you wish to talk about what you "worry about," use the Spanish phrasal verb preocuparse por:
que sepan que hay personas que se preocupan por ellas.
so that they know that there are people who are concerned about them.
Caption 8, Transformación Estética
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In her video series on the verb quedar, Silvia mentions the phrasal verb quedarse con, which can have several different meanings including "to keep," "end up with" or "be left." Let's take a look at two captions that include it:
"Tras el divorcio, ella se quedó con el chalé
"After the divorce, she kept the chalet,
Caption 56, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 3
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Toda la familia "se quedó con la boca abierta".
The whole family "was left open-mouthed."
Caption 8, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 7
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As you might imagine, quedarse sin often means the opposite of quedarse con ("to be left" or "end up without"), but it can also mean "to run out of" something:
Nos quedamos sin guitarrista, sin banda y sin concurso; ¡no!
We are left without a guitarist, without a band and without a contest; no!
Caption 16, X6 1 - La banda - Part 6
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No, se quedó sin nafta. -¿Qué?
No, it ran out of gas. -What?
Caption 4, Yago 7 Encuentros - Part 11
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To talk about something or someone you "laughed at," use the Spanish phrasal verb reírse de:
Nos reímos de la muerte.
We laugh at death.
Caption 28, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Adriana y la fiesta de los muertos - Part 3
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As you probably know, salir by itself means "to leave." That said, when referring to leaving a particular place, salir de is the correct Spanish phrasal verb to choose.
Y cuando salimos de la iglesia me dice mi padre:
And when we left the church my father says to me:
Caption 52, María Marí Su pasión por su arte - Part 1
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While it might seem strange to English speakers, the literal translation for this Spanish phrasal verb is "to dream with" (rather than "about"):
y muchas veces incluso sueño con aquellos tiempos.
and very often I even dream about those times.
Caption 49, Clara y Cristina Saludar
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Rather than meaning "to have that," the Spanish phrasal verb tener que plus an infinitive means "to have to" do something:
Todos tenemos que superarlo y tenemos que empeñarnos en ello.
We all have to overcome it, and we have to be set on doing it.
Captions 74-75, Soledad Compartir tus problemas
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When you want to describe something that you're "trying to" do, use the infinitive following the Spanish phrasal verb tratar de:
trato de alimentarme bien, de tomar agua,
I try to eat well, to drink water,
Caption 26, Otavalo Ejercicios
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When talking about "coming to" a place, use the phrasal verb venir a, which translates very literally to English.
¿qué consejos le darías a un turista que viene a Barcelona?
what advice would you give to a tourist who's coming to Barcelona?
Caption 51, Carlos y Xavi Part 4 Tradiciones y comida de Barcelona
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And finally, when used with an infinitive, volver a (literally "to return to") means to perform some action again. Let's see two examples:
volvimos a revalidar el título
we locked in the title again
Caption 90, Viajando con Fermín Final Copa del Rey
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y mi mamá no se volvió a casar,
and my mother didn't remarry,
Caption 55, La Sub30 Familias - Part 2
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After perusing our list of 35 Spanish Phrasal Verbs, we have compiled a list of all of them along with their English translations so that you may study or review them at your leisure:
1. Acabar de: to have just (done something)
2. Acordarse de: to remember/remember to
3. Acostumbrarse a: to get used to/accustomed to
4. Alegrarse de: to be glad/happy/pleased about
5. Caer(le) bien (a alguien): to please (equivalent of "to like")
6. Caer(le) mal (a alguien): to displease (equivalent of "to not like")
7. Casarse con: to marry/get married to
8. Contar con: to count on
9. Dar con: to find
10. Dar por: to presume/consider
11. Darse prisa: to hurry/hurry up
12. Dejar de: to quit or stop (doing something)
13. Depender de: to depend on
14. Enamorarse de: to fall in love with
15. Encontrarse con: to meet up/get together with
16. Echar a: to suddenly start to (do something)
17. Echar de menos: to miss
18. Estar para: to be up for/in the mood for
19. Estar por: to be about to (do something)
20. Hablar de: to talk about
21. Llevar a cabo: to do/carry out/perform/accomplish
22. Olvidarse de: to forget
23. Pensar de: to think of/about (hold a belief)
24. Pensar en: to think about (the thought process)
25. Ponerse a: to start to (do something)
26. Preocuparse por: to worry/be concerned about
27. Quedarse con: to keep/end up with/be left with
28. Quedarse sin: to be left without/end up without/run out of
29. Reírse de: to laugh at
30. Salir de: to leave/leave from (a place)
31. Soñar con: to dream about
32. Tener que: to have to (do something)
33. Tratar de: to try to (do something)
34. Venir a: to come to (a place)
35. Volver a: to do (something) again
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to better navigate many of the most common phrasal verbs in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
Although the preposition ante is not as "popular" as some others, such as the preposition a or the preposition en, it is still very useful. In fact, this lesson will explain 3 different ideas that the preposition ante can express. Let's get started!
One of the most common uses of the preposition ante is to mean "before" or "in front of." This includes physical position or location. Let's see a couple of examples from our library:
Hoy la luna pálida aparece ante mis ojos
Today the pale moon appears before my eyes
Caption 1, Festivaliando Mono Núñez - Part 17
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y ya a la edad de cinco años tocaba piano ante el público y daba conciertos.
and at the age of five was already playing piano in front of an audience and putting on concerts.
Captions 26-27, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Mauricio y el maestro Arrau
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In addition to describing literal location, the preposition ante can also figuratively mean "before," particularly when used with nouns, verbs, and adjectives that entail a particular stance on something, or call to or withdrawal from action. In these cases, it is often translated with the less formal "to." Let's take a look:
Lo que usted tiene que hacer es quejarse ante una asociación protectora de animales.
What you have to do is complain to an animal protective association.
Captions 26-27, Kikirikí Animales - Part 5
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Sus llamativos trajes y su manera de bailar reflejan la resistencia ante la conquista española.
Their striking costumes and their manner of dancing reflect the resistance to the Spanish conquest.
Captions 17-18, Música andina Ritmos andinos con violín
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De ceder ante tu llanto No pienso abrir las heridas de haberte querido tanto
Of giving in to your crying I do not plan to open the wounds of having loved you so much
Captions 21-22, No te va a gustar Chau
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The preposition ante can also be used as the equivalent of English expressions like "in the face of," "in the presence of," or "faced with." Let's take a look at two examples, including one from our popular series Confidencial: Asesino al Volante:
Sabias palabras del padre Sarmiento ante la inmisericorde caza de brujas que se ha desatado en contra del Señor Jorge Castellanos.
Wise words from Father Sarmiento in the face of the merciless witch hunt that has been unleashed against Mister Jorge Castellanos.
Captions 60-62, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 1
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y, ante el temor de la mujer por un viaje tan largo a un lugar tan desconocido, la consoló con la promesa de regresar lo antes posible
and, faced with the wife's fear of such a long trip to such an unknown place, he consoled her with the promise of returning as soon as possible
Captions 11-13, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama
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The preposition ante can also be used like the English "(as) compared to" or "next to," as in the following examples:
Ante la belleza de su hermana mayor, la chica se creía muy ordinaria.
Compared to her older sister's beauty, the girl believed she was very ordinary.
Ante la personalidad exigente de su jefe previo, su jefe nuevo parecía muy tranquilo.
Next to her former boss' demanding personality, her new boss seemed very mellow.
You might also hear the Spanish preposition ante in idiomatic expressions, such as ante ello ("in light of that" or "considering that"), ante la duda ("in case of doubt" or "when in doubt"), ante todo ("above all" or "first of all"), and many more. Let's hear two of these in action:
Y ante todo sos una chica que tenés derecho a soñar con todo lo que quieras.
And above all you're a girl who has the right to dream about everything you want.
Caption 13, Muñeca Brava 44 El encuentro - Part 7
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Ante la duda... -Ninguna. -que no se coma.
In case of doubt... -None. -don't eat it.
Captions 85-86, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 11
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That's all for this lesson. As you can see, there are many ways to use the preposition ante, and we encourage you to try to write some additional sentences with each one of these uses. And, of course, don't forget to send us your questions and comments.
The Spanish verb echar can be used in many different ways and appears in a host of different Spanish idiomatic expressions. Let's explore the many meanings and uses of the Spanish verb echar.
While the first definition of echar in dictionaries is typically "to throw," it can refer to any literal or figurative movement from one point to another and can thus be translated in many fashions depending upon the context. Let's take a look at several of its most common meanings with examples from our Yabla Spanish library.
Although the Spanish verb echar can literally mean "to throw," "toss," or "hurl" something, it is probably more common to hear verbs like tirar, lanzar, or arrojar used with this meaning. That said, let's take a look at an example where echar means to physically throw something:
y le echas harina y se lo pones en el pelo y... ¡Chwak!
and you throw flour on her and you put it in her hair and... Bam!
Caption 17, Club 10 Capítulo 1 - Part 1
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The Spanish verb echar can also be used in the way we use the verbs "to throw" something "out" or "away," whether literally or figuratively. Let's look at an example of each:
Por lo general, tenemos cuatro contenedores: el azul, donde echamos el papel, cartón, revistas,
Generally, we have four trash bins: the blue one, where we throw away paper, cardboard, magazines,
Captions 3-4, Rosa Reciclar
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Todo estaba tranquilo y lo echaste a la basura
Everything was calm and you threw it in the garbage
Caption 3, Sondulo Que te vaya mal
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The verb echar in Spanish often appears in recipes and other contexts when talking about "adding" or "putting in" some ingredient, etc. Let's take a look:
Le voy a echar un poco de nata...
I'm going to add a bit of cream to it...
Caption 47, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 9
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Bueno, también le podemos echar diferentes clases de condimentos.
Well, we can also put in different kinds of seasoning.
Caption 24, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
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Along these same lines, echar can also be used to mean to pour something into something else:
Solo falta echarla en el molde
We just need to pour it into the mold
Caption 38, Cleer y Lía El día de la madre
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The verb echar in Spanish may also refer to getting rid of someone in the sense of throwing or kicking them out, temporarily or permanently:
No sé qué hace este señor todavía acá, lo eché esta misma tarde.
I don't know what this gentleman is still doing here. I threw him out this very afternoon.
Caption 33, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 4
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Se mueren por saber por qué echó a la chirusa.
They're dying to know why she fired the vulgar girl.
Caption 42, Carlos y Cyndy Comentario sobre Muñeca Brava
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And speaking of "expelling" and "fire," the verb echar in Spanish can also mean to "expel," "emit," "give off," or "spew" fire or smoke, for example:
Pero eso no lo iba a entender un dragón al que solo le interesaba rugir y echar fuego por la boca.
But a dragon who was only interested in roaring and spewing fire from his mouth wasn't going to get it.
Caption 49, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 1 - Part 7
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And, to conclude with our more standard uses of the Spanish verb echar, the formula echar + infinitive means "to start" [doing something]:
y ven la batidora, echan a correr.
and they see the blender, they start to run.
Caption 31, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 8
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This meaning might also be seen with the reflexive version of the verb, echarse.
Pero ya las lágrimas se echaban a correr
But the tears were starting to fall
Caption 8, Jeremías Uno y uno igual a tres
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Let's take a look at some additional uses of the reflexive verb echarse.
The reflexive verb echarse can be used to talk about "lying down" as in Me voy a echar en la cama (I'm going to lie down in bed) or generally "throwing oneself" or "getting down":
Los hombres que cuando se les dicen de echarse al suelo es que no quieren ninguno.
When men are told to get down on the ground, the thing is that no one wants to.
Captions 52-53, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 8
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The reflexive verb echarse can additionally have the connotation of moving from one place to another, as in the first example, and is therefore heard often in songs, as in the second, with various translations to tell people how they should move.
donde el pueblo se echa a la calle junto a miles de visitantes
where the town goes out onto the street along with thousands of visitors
Caption 57, Viajando con Fermín Frigiliana, Málaga
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Échate pa' un lado
Move aside
Caption 8, Javier García EPK - Part 2
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Now, let's look at several Spanish idioms that involve the Spanish verbs echar or echarse with examples in context:
¡Y me echó la culpa de todo!
And she blamed everything on me!
Caption 13, Guillermina y Candelario La Peluqueria del Mar - Part 1
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El marido se echó a reír al ver la cara de sorpresa de su esposa.
The husband burst out laughing when he saw his wife's surprised face.
Caption 32, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama
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Después de haberse marchado todos, estaba sola en casa y se echó a llorar.
After everyone had left, she was alone in the house and burst out crying.
Captions 29-30, Cuentos de hadas Cenicienta - Part 1
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Después de comer, solemos echar la siesta
After eating, we usually take a nap
Caption 20, El Aula Azul Actividades Diarias
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Ahora cerramos la puerta, echamos la llave
Now we close the door, we lock it,
Caption 12, Escuela BCNLIP Clase con Javi: el futuro - Part 1
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De España echo mucho de menos el clima,
From Spain, I really miss the weather,
Caption 39, Álvaro Arquitecto Español en Londres
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para que nos eche una mano y les vamos a dar
so that he can lend us a hand and we are going to give them
Caption 50, Club de las ideas Bioparc
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De acuerdo, deje que eche un vistazo.
OK, let me take a look.
Caption 63, Negocios Empezar en un nuevo trabajo - Part 2
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Así es y pues aquí mira, trabajando, echándole ganas y...
It's so, and well, [we] are here, [you] see, working, giving it my all and...
Caption 17, Edificio en Construcción Hablando con los trabajadores - Part 2
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No puedo, negrita, ya eché a perder como diez laburo'.
I can't, honey. I already messed up like ten jobs.
Caption 3, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 5
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¡Callate, Rufino! No eches más leña al fuego, ¿querés?
Shut up, Rufino! Don't put more wood into the fire [don't add fuel to the fire], will you?
Caption 23, Yago 8 Descubrimiento - Part 2
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Todavía no ha jugado el partido de fútbol y ya está "echando las campanas al vuelo",
He hasn't played the soccer match yet, and he's already "throwing the bells in the air,"
Captions 45-46, Aprendiendo con Silvia Campanas - Part 2
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Although the literal meaning is totally different, this Spanish expression is comparable to the English idiom about "counting one's chickens before they are hatched." For more such examples, check out this lesson on Spanish idioms and their (very different) English equivalents.
As there are so many standard and idiomatic ways to use the Spanish verb echar that it would be impossible to name them all, we've provided just a smattering! Don't hesitate to write to us with any more you come across, or with any ideas for future lessons. ¡Hasta la próxima!
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