Guide
Idioms vs phrasal verbs: what's the difference?
Idioms and phrasal verbs are both groups of words with a meaning you can't always guess, which is why learners often mix them up. But they are built differently, and knowing the difference helps you learn each one.
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning is different from the meaning of its words. It can have almost any shape: a verb phrase (spill the beans), a noun phrase (a blessing in disguise), a prepositional phrase (under the weather) or a whole sentence (actions speak louder than words).
- Spill the beansReveal a secret.“She spilled the beans about the surprise party.”
- A blessing in disguiseSomething that seems bad at first but turns out well.“Missing that train was a blessing in disguise.”
- Under the weatherFeeling a little ill.“I stayed home because I felt under the weather.”
- Actions speak louder than wordsWhat people do matters more than what they say.“He promised to help, but actions speak louder than words.”
What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a verb followed by one or two small words, called particles, such as up, off, out or in: give up, look after, run out of. The verb and its particles work together as a single verb, and you use it like any other verb, in any tense: I gave up, she has given up.
Some phrasal verbs are easy to understand, like sit down or come back, but many are not: give up means stop trying, and put up with means accept something unpleasant. You can learn them on phrasalverbs.app, our site for phrasal verbs.
The main differences
- Shape: a phrasal verb is always a verb plus a particle. An idiom can be any group of words.
- Flexibility: a phrasal verb changes like a normal verb (give up, gave up, given up), and some can be split (give it up). Many idioms never change: once in a blue moon always stays the same.
- Patterns: phrasal verbs use a small set of particles, so they form recognisable families, like get up, get on and get over. Idioms have no such pattern, so each one is learned on its own.
- Meaning: a phrasal verb can be literal (pick up a coin from the floor) or not. An idiom, by definition, is not literal.
Where they overlap
Some expressions are both. Idioms often contain a phrasal verb: get out of hand is built on get out of. And a phrasal verb with a figurative meaning can feel like an idiom: break the ice is an idiom and break down is a phrasal verb, but in both, break has little to do with breaking something.
- Get out of handBecome too difficult to keep under control.“Without clear rules, the discussion can get out of hand.”
- Break the iceHelp people feel comfortable when they first meet.“A short game helped break the ice at the workshop.”
How to learn each one
Learn phrasal verbs by verb and by topic, and pay attention to their grammar: whether they take an object, and where that object goes. Learn idioms by topic and situation, and pay attention to tone, because some are informal or humorous. For both, an example sentence teaches you more than a translation, because it shows you how the expression is really used.
Start with the idioms about feelings or the idioms about time, or see how to learn English idioms.