What is a phrasal verb? It’s a verb that is combined with an adverb or preposition to modify the meaning and make the verb usable in a wider variety of contexts. There are hundreds of phrasal verbs in the English language. Italian doesn’t have nearly as many, but it does have some. A number of Italian phrasal verbs translate directly to a very similar English equivalent; others are unique to only the Italian language. Let’s take a moment to learn some of the most common phrasal verbs used in everyday conversation.
1. Portare via – to take away
Literally: to bring away
Porta via questo piatto.
Take this plate away.
2. Portare avanti – to carry on / to continue
Literally: to bring forward / ahead
Portiamo avanti le tradizioni di famiglia.
We carry on the traditions of our family.
3. Venire giù – to come down
Literally: to come down
Il soffitto è venuto giù con un gran fracasso.
The ceiling came down with a loud crash.
4. Essere fuori di testa – to be crazy / out of one’s mind
Literally: to be out of one’s head
Quella donna è fuori di testa!
That woman is out of her mind!
5. Fare fuori – to get rid of / to finish off
Literally: to do / make out
This phrasal verb can be used innocently in the context of firing an employee or polishing off a chocolate cake. Or can be used more sinisterly – to *ahem* finish off a person. Yes, this phrase is used as a euphemism for murder.
Hai fatto fuori tutta la torta??
You polished off the whole cake??
6. Mettere dentro – to arrest / to put in jail
Literally: to put inside
Dopo l’omicidio, i poliziotti l’hanno messo dentro.
After the murder, the police put him in jail.
7. Mettere sotto – to run over
Literally: to put under
Attento! Non mettere sotto lo scoiattolo!
Watch out! Don’t run over the squirrel!
8. Mandare giù – to swallow
Literally: to send down
Non riesco a mandare giù questa brutta notizia.
I can’t swallow this bad news.
9. Mettere via – to save (financially) / to set aside
Literally: to put away
Dovrei mettere via dei soldi per le vacanze.
I ought to set aside some money for the holidays.
10. Mettersi insieme – to get together
Literally: to put together
Marco e Giulia si sono messi insieme sei anni fa.
Marco and Giulia got together six years ago.
11. Dare addosso – to hound / to harass
Literally: to give on top of
In English, we might use the phrase “Come at me!” to challenge someone to attack, or “don’t come at me” to dissuade people from harassing us. If “come at” implies receiving the attack, “give at” would imply initiating the attack. This is one school of thought that can help make sense of this unique Italian phrasal verb.
I cittadini danno addosso al politico.
The citizens hounded the politician.
12. Darci dentro – to work hard
Literally: to give oneself into (something)
Think of the English phrase “to put your back into it”. This Italian phrasal verb is very similar. To give oneself in, or to throw oneself into a job implies surrounding oneself with work, thereby working harder.
Devi darci dentro se vuoi superare questo esame.
You have to work hard if you want to pass this exam.
13. Dare via – to give away
Literally: to give away
Potete dare via i vostri vecchi vestiti a chi ne ha bisogno.
You can give away your old clothing to those in need.
14. Buttare giù – to jot down
Literally: to throw down
Ho buttato giù qualche parola prima di uscire.
I jotted down a few words before going out.
Note: The specific phrase buttare giù la pasta (or more simply buttare la pasta) refers to the act of “putting on the pasta” to cook.
15. Buttare via – to throw away / out
Literally: to throw away
Devo buttare via la spazzatura.
I have to throw out the garbage.
16. Buttare fuori – to throw out / to kick out
Literally: to throw out
Did you know that, in Italian, the word for a bouncer is buttafuori?
Sua madre l’ha buttato fuori di casa.
His mom threw him out of the house.
17. Mettere su – to create / to put on
Literally: to put on
Ho messo su qualche chilo a Natale.
I put on a few kilos at Christmas.
Note: Three expressions you will often hear in Italian that use this phrasal verb are mettere su famiglia (to start a family), mettere su casa (to set up house) and mettere su la pasta (to put on the pasta).
18. Tirare avanti – to get by / to scrape by
Literally: to pull forward
Guadagno uno stipendio misero. Faccio fatica a tirare avanti.
I earn a very poor salary. I find it hard to get by.
19. Tirare fuori – to come up with / to bring out
Literally: to pull out
This phrasal verb reminds me of the crude English phrase “to pull something out of one’s @$$”, meaning to make up a tall tale.
Da dove hai tirato fuori questo piano assurdo?
How did you come up with this absurd plan?
20. Tirare su – to lift up / to cheer up
Literally: to pull / pick up
This can be used with an additional di morale (of moral) to mean “to cheer up” and “to lift one’s spirits”. And if you’re having trouble remembering this phrasal verb, just think of the delicious Italian dessert tiramisù (literally “pick me up”)!
Ti mando un mazzo di fiori per tirarti su.
I’ll send you a bouquet of flowers to cheer you up.
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Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
