English Phrasal Verbs about Socializing: English Vocabulary Lesson

Phrasal verbs for socialising in English.

Phrasal verbs! Your favourite, yes? Hmmm… many students complain about having to study phrasal verbs. There are sooo many! And it can be very confusing and overwhelming. But the truth is if you really want to be a fluent English speaker and understand native speakers, you will have to make phrasal verbs your friend. J Why? Phrasal verbs are very common in conversational English. We use them more than formal vocabulary.

 Today I’m going to teach you some very useful phrases you can use in social situations using the word…….

HANG

#1) HANG OUT

When we “hang out” with someone we spend time socially with him/her. This phrasal verb has become very common in everyday English speaking. It’s informal for “spend time” with someone.

Example;

 “I’m going to hang out with my friends at the beach this weekend”

“Tom and Sarah have been hanging out for quite a while”

“Would you like to hang out with me this Saturday night?”

 #2) HANG AROUND

If we “hang around” it means that we spend time in a place waiting or doing nothing in particular.

You can hang around a person or a place.

Examples

“I’ve been hanging around the city all day waiting to buy tickets!”

“Jack keeps hanging around me all the time. I don’t like it”

“You shouldn’t hang around here. It’s dangerous!”

#3) HANG OUT FOR SOMETHING

I’m really hanging out for a holiday! Are you? When we “hang out for something” it means that we really want it. Usually something we have not had for a long time.

Example;

“I’m hanging out for a pizza right now!”

“I’ve been hanging out for a holiday all year!”

“Sarah was really hanging out to see Toby at the party”

We can also say this without the “out”.

“I’m hanging for a pizza right now”. This way of speaking is quite common in the US English.

#4) HANG IN (THERE)

The phrase “hang in” means to be patient and continue when something is difficult or challenging. We often say this as a way of encouraging someone to keep going with the task.

If someone is telling you about how difficult it is to find a job, or to study his or her course at university, you can say:

“Hang in there” as a way of supporting the person.

“My girlfriend and I are having a really bad time at the moment” “Just hang in there. I’m sure things will get better soon”

“This Master’s degree I’m studying is so hard! I guess I’ll just have to hang in until it’s finished”

#5) GET/BE HUNG UP ON SOMETHING

When we get really worried about something we can say we get “hung up” on it. We can get ‘hung up’ on problems we have. This means we are constantly worried about them and can’t stop thinking about the problem.

It also means to be obsessed with something or someone.

Examples:

“Sarah is so hung up on getting everything right”

“I sometimes have a problem with customers at work, but I don’t get hung up about it”

“He’s hung up on modern art these days”

And there you have 5 common phrasal verbs you can use when chatting with your friends. But you should take action! Write them down in your journal or put them on cards and pin them around your house. Make sentences! Then try to listen to conversations around you, or watch films and TV shows and see if you can hear the phrases.

 Happy English learning!