Learn English Phrasal Verbs:Relationships
This set is for talking about friends, dating, and sharing a home: getting on with someone, moving in, and splitting up.
Not sure when the object goes in the middle? Read separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.
be up to
be doing
What are you up to this weekend?
What are you doing this weekend?
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brush up (on)
practise something you learned before
I need to brush up on my French before the trip.
I need to refresh my French before the trip.
Review a skill: brush up on your French or brush your French up. With on, keep the object after on.
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be off to
leave for
She’s off to New York for a conference.
She’s leaving for New York for a conference.
A conversational expression for leaving for a destination: she is off to New York. The destination follows to.
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move in
start sharing a home
They’ve decided to move in together next month.
They’ve decided to start sharing a home next month.
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get on (with)
have a good relationship
Do you get on with your new classmates?
Do you have a good relationship with your new classmates?
With takes the person or task: get on with classmates; get on with your work. Get on can stand alone in a suitable context.
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take to
start to like
He’s really taken to his new hobby of painting.
He’s really started to like his new hobby of painting.
About a first reaction: I took to her immediately.
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chat up
flirt
He tried to chat up the new girl at the party.
He tried to flirt with the new girl at the party.
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split up (with)
end a relationship
They decided to split up after months of arguing.
They decided to end their relationship after months of arguing.
They split up has no object. When naming a partner, keep that person after with: she split up with him.
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think of
consider
Are you thinking of retiring?
Are you considering retiring?
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make up one's mind
make a decision
She finally made up her mind about which university to attend.
She finally made a decision about which university to attend.
An idiom meaning decide: make up your mind or make your mind up. Match the possessive to the person: she made up her mind.
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All 10 relationships phrasal verbs at a glance
Separable means the object can sit in the middle, and a pronoun has to. Inseparable means it never can. No object means the verb does not take one. Full explanation here.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| be up to | be doing | Inseparable, informal |
| brush up (on) | practise something you learned before | Pattern varies |
| be off to | leave for | Inseparable |
| move in | start sharing a home | No object |
| get on (with) | have a good relationship | Pattern varies |
| take to | start to like | Inseparable |
| chat up | flirt | Separable, informal |
| split up (with) | end a relationship | Pattern varies |
| think of | consider | Inseparable |
| make up one's mind | make a decision | Fixed pattern |
About this set
Use the verbs in everyday speech. Chat up is informal and mainly British; split up is the usual spoken opposite of getting together.
This pack also includes the idiom make up one's mind, meaning decide. It is different from make up after an argument, which means become friends again.
Usage notes
- get on (with). Get on with someone means have a good relationship. Inseparable. This is not the “continue a task” meaning from Free Time.
- split up (with). Intransitive or with with: they split up / he split up with her. Informal spoken English for end a relationship.
- chat up. Informal British English for talking to someone because you are attracted to them. Separable: chat her up. It can sound dated or pushy, so use it with care.
- move in. Intransitive. Move in means start living in a place, often with a partner. The opposite is move out.
Mistakes to avoid
Incorrect: She gets on very well her flatmate.
Correct: She gets on very well with her flatmate.
Get on with needs the with before the person.
Incorrect: They split up with after three years.
Correct: They split up after three years.
Split up alone needs no object. Split up with names the person you left.
Incorrect: I took her to immediately.
Correct: I took to her immediately.
Take to is inseparable, so the person follows the preposition.
Incorrect: She finally made up his mind about her own plans.
Correct: She finally made up her mind about her own plans.
In the idiom make up one's mind, match the possessive to the person making the decision: she made up her mind.
Common questions
Does make up one's mind mean become friends again?
No. Make up one's mind means decide: I made up my mind to stay. Make up after an argument means become friends again. Learn the whole expression to keep the senses separate.
Is get on with the same as take to?
Get on with is about an ongoing relationship, the way you get on with your flatmate. Take to is about a first reaction: I took to her immediately. You can take to someone and still not get on with them later.