短语动词——动词加上 up、out、on 这类小词——在口语英语里随处可见。它们的意思往往和单个词本身没什么关系,这正是它们让人困惑的原因。下面这十个,你会一直听到。
1. Give up
意思: 放弃、不再尝试。
He tried to learn guitar but gave up after a month. · She gave up smoking last year.
2. Look forward to
意思: 期待某件事。后面永远接名词或 -ing 形式。
I'm really looking forward to the weekend. · I look forward to hearing from you.(书信里的标准结尾句——注意是 hearing,不是 hear)
3. Run into
意思: 偶然遇到某人。
I ran into my old teacher at the supermarket yesterday.
4. Put off
意思: 推迟、延后。
Stop putting off your homework — start now. · The meeting's been put off until Friday.
5. Figure out
意思: 想清楚或弄明白某件事。
It took me a while to figure out how the coffee machine works.
6. Come across
意思: 无意中发现某样东西,并不是特意去找的。
I came across an old photo while cleaning my room.
7. Turn down
意思: 拒绝一个提议或邀请。
She turned down the job offer because the salary was too low.
它还有一个字面意思:Could you turn down the music?(调小声音)
8. Bring up
意思: 在谈话中提起某个话题。
I didn't want to bring up the accident, so I changed the subject.
9. Get along with
意思: 和某人相处融洽。
I get along with all of my coworkers.
10. Get over
意思: 从某件难熬的事情中恢复过来——生病、坏消息、分手。
It took her a few weeks to get over the flu.
宾语该放在哪里?
这一点很少有人讲清楚,但它决定了这句话听起来对不对。
可分离的短语动词——名词宾语可以放在两边,代词必须放在中间:
- ✅ Turn down the offer. / Turn the offer down. / Turn it down.
- ❌ Turn down it.
这份清单里可分离的有:give up, put off, turn down, bring up。
不可分离的——两个词永远不能拆开:
- ✅ I ran into her. · ❌ I ran her into.
这份清单里不可分离的有:run into, come across, get along with, get over, look forward to。
代词测试能解决一切问题。 用 it 或 them 把短语说一遍。如果 turn it down 听起来没问题——这个动词就是可分离的。如果只有 ran into her 说得通——那就不是。不用死记清单,用代词测一测就知道了。
小品词自有规律
那个小词不是随便挑的。留意这些规律,猜新短语动词的意思会容易得多:
| 小品词 | 常见含义 | 例子 |
|---|---|---|
| up | 完成、做到底 | eat up, finish up, use up |
| out | 发现或去除 | find out, figure out, throw out |
| off | 取消、分离 | put off, call off, take off |
| on | 继续 | carry on, go on, hold on |
| down | 减少、记录下来 | turn down, cut down, write down |
这只是一种提示,不是规则:give up 并不是「多给一点」。但它管用的次数足够多,值得记住。
为什么值得先学这些
注意:这十个词没有一个是生僻或书面的——它们不断出现在日常对话、非正式书信和电视剧里。把十个常用短语动词学扎实,比死记一百个用不上的更有用。
这里还牵涉到语域问题:短语动词通常是口语说法,对应的单个词往往是正式说法。Put off / postpone,find out / discover,turn down / decline,bring up / raise。给同事写邮件时用短语动词很合适,写正式报告时则通常用单个词。
一次偶遇
A: I ran into Dana this morning.
B: Really? I haven't seen her since she gave up teaching.
A: She's fine. She brought up the reunion, actually — it's been put off again.
B: Again? I was looking forward to that.
十句话里有五句用到了短语动词,而谁都不会觉得这段对话哪里不寻常。
自测一下
下面的测验里,每个短语动词配一句真实的例句。选出合适的答案。