Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Phrasal Verbs and Idioms
Phrasal Verbs and Idioms
Break down
= to lose control of one’s feelings and start crying (mất kiềm chế) -
When we gave her the bad news, she broke down and cried.
= to become very bad (suy sụp sức khỏe hoặc tinh thần) - Her health
broke down under the pressure of work.
= to enter a house or a building by force (đột nhập)
- Someone broke into the office while the security guard was on the phone to his
Break into
wife.
= to cause sth to happen (mang lại điều gì; gây ra việc gì)
- The twentieth century brought about revolutionary changes in our lifestyles.
Bring about
= to begin to understand or realize something (bắt đầu hiểu được điều gì)
- It was a long time before the police caught on to what he was really
Catch, on to sth
doing.
Come down with = to get an illness that is not very serious (bị nhiễm bệnh nhẹ)
sth - I think I’m coming down with a cold.
= uesd to tell sb to hurry or to try harder (bảo ai cố lên hoặc nhanh lên)
- Come on! We don’t have much time.
- Come on! Try once more.
Come on
= used to show that you know what sb has said is not correct (bảo ai “thôi mà”)
- Oh, come on-you know that isn’t true!
= to find the answer by reasoning (tìm ra câu trả lời sau nhiều suy nghĩ)
Figure out
- It took them ages to figure out how to assemble the chest of drawers.
= to complete a form by writing information on it (điền vào) - Every
Fill in/out
applicants must fill in/out this form and post it.
= to make sth completely full (đổ đầy)
Fill up
- Fill up the tank with gas before going on the trip.
= to discover information about sth/sb (tìm ra)
Find out
- Watch that man and try to find out what he’s doing.
= to criticize repeatedly sb (= chỉ trích ai)
Get at/on sb
- He keeps getting at me and I really don't know what I've done wrong.
Hang = to wait or stay near a place, not doing very much (lượn lờ ở nơi nào)
about/around - In this slum area, you can see kids hanging about in the streets
= to give or leave sth to sb who is younger than you; to pass down (truyền lại cho
Hand sth down to sb
ai)
- These skills used to be handed down from father to son.
= to submit (nộp; đệ trình)
- Remember to check your essay carefully before you hand it in to me.
Hand sth in (to sb)
- He handed the wallet in to the police.
= to think about something that happened in the past (nhìn lại điều gì)
Look back on/to sth.
- When she looks back on those days she realizes how unhappy she was.
= to think that one is better than sb (khinh rẻ hoặc coi thường ai)
Look down on
- They looked down on her because of her poor clothes.
= to save something, usually time or money, for a special purpose (để dành)
- They put aside a little money every month for their child’s future education.
Put sth aside - He tries to put some time aside every evening to read to the kids.
= to return an object to where it was before it was moved (trả lại chở cũ)
Put sth back
- Will you put the books back when you’ve finished with them?
Run across
= to experience a problem when you are not expecting to (gặp vấn đề)
- We've run across a slight problem with the instruction manual.
= to criticize sb/sth, often unfairly (chỉ trích một cách bất công)
Run sb/sth down
- The boss is always running his secretary down in front of other people.
= If a document or official agreement runs out, the period of time for which it lasts
Run out finishes (hết hạn sử dụng)
- My passport runs out next month - I must get it renewed.
= to meet by chance (tình cờ gặp)
Run into - I ran into someone I used to know at school in the street this morning.
- They ran into difficulties during the test flight.
= to finish the supply of sth (hết; cạn kiệt)
- We've run out of milk - would you like some creamer instead?
Run out of
- Get out of here before I run out of patience!
- I'll have to stop you here, we've run out of time.
= to go to the airport, the station, etc., to say goodbye to sb (đưa tiễn ai)
See sb off
- All the members of my family saw me off at the airport.
= to deal with sth that needs to be dealt with (xử lý việc gì)
See to sth - If you bring the food, I’ll see to the drinks.
- "These documents need printing.” “OK I’ll see to them now.”
= to send sb to prison (bỏ tù người nào)
Send sb down/up
- He was sent down/up for armed robbery.
= to order sb to leave a game because they have done something
Send sb off wrong; to eject sb (đuổi khỏi sân)
- The defender was sent off for swearing at the referee.
= to ask for sth to be brought to you from another place, by using the telephone or
Send out for sth sending a message (gọi để đặt hàng)
- There's not much to eat in the fridge. Should I send out for a pizza?
= to behave in a way that attracts attention or admiration, and which other people
often find annoying (khoe khoang)
Show off - Tony only bought that sports car to show off and prove he could afford one.
- She likes to wear short skirts to show off her legs.
= to go with sb to a place that they have not visited before (đưa ai đi xem nơi nào)
Show sb - Let me know when you're coming to my town and I'll show you
round/around around.
= to arrive (đến)
- I invited him for eight o'clock, but he didn't show up until nine-thirty.
Show up - They were expecting one hundred people to come to their wedding reception, but
only half of them showed up.
= to admit that something you said was wrong (rút lại lời đã nói ra)
- He refused to take back his assertion that I had lied.
- The witch put a magic spell on the prince and turned him into a frog.
= to think about a problem and find the answer (tìm ra câu trả lời)
- I couldn't work out what his expression meant,
Work out - There win be a íiilỉ investigation to work out what caused the accident.
B. IDIOMS:
1. Idioms with “arm”:
Idioms Meanings & Examples
= khoác tay nhau
Arm in arm
- They walked arm in arm through the park.
= willingly, with enthusiasm (sẵn lòng)
- Thank you so much for the report, my boss will welcome it with open arms.
With open arms
= to get rid of sb/sth that is tiresome, unpleasant, etc. (tống khứ ai hoặc điều gì)
See the back of sth/sb - I’ll be glad to see the back of Joe. He’s just wasting my time!
= to be disloyal to a friend when he does not expect it (đâm sau lưng ai)
- Don’t trust Billy. He’s the sort of person who is likely to stab
Stab sb in the back
you in the back when it suits him.
= to refuse to help sb when it is needed (quay lưng lại với ai, không giúp đỡ
ai)
Turn one’s back on sb
- Although I don’t like Peter very much, I can’t turn my back
on him when he’s in trouble.
Idioms Meanings & Examples
= (saying) family ties are stronger than ties of friendship in spite of anything
(một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã)
Blood is thicker than water
- Despite everything, Paul is our cousin, and we all know that
blood is thicker than water.
= calmly and without feeling (lạnh lùng, vô cảm)
In cold blood - How can you remain her friend after she lied to you like that
in cold blood?
= one becomes very angry (nổi giận điên cuồng)
One’s blood boils/ it makes - It makes my blood boil to think that he’s taken all the praise for my work!
one’s blood boil
= to ignore sth or pretend not to be aware of sth (vờ như không thấy)
- The boss knows that we often waste time chatting, but she
Turn a blind eye to sth
just turns a blind eye to it.
Keep a straight face = to not laugh though one finds sth very funny (ỉàm mặt tỉnh)
- I could hardly keep a straight face when the principal’s glasses fell off
the end of his nose during his speech.
= lose the respect of others (mất mặt)
Lose face - We would have lost face if our team had not won the match.
Stand on one’s own (two) = to be self-supporting and independent (tự lập, không lệ thuộc)
feet - don’t worry about your son. At 19, he’s perfectly able to
stand on his own two feet.
In hand
= spare, left over to use (để dành dùng về sau)
- When we have paid all the bills, we’ll still have some money
in hand.
= to live without saving money, spending it as soon as it is earned (sống
kiểu tay làm hàm nhai)
Live from hand to mouth
- Tome has just been living from hand to mouth. He hasn’t
been able to save any money!
= out of control (ngoài tầm kiểm soát)
- If the strike situation at the factory gets out of hand, we’ll lose some
Out of hand
importants orders.
= to be very kind and generous (có tấm lòng bao dung, rộng lượng)
- Mr. Brown may seem grumpy and bad-tempered sometimes,
Have a heart of gold
but deep down he has a heart of gold.
Stretch one’s legs - After such a lengthy discussion, I feel that I need to stretch my legs. Would
you like to join me in the garden?
= in a humble, depressed manner, like a dog after being heaten (cụp đuôi; trầm
With one’s tail between one’s uất)
legs - Jack looked very angry when he entered the manager’s office, but he left with
his tail between his legs. He had been mistaken!
itận răng;
17. Idioms w th “tooth, được trang bị quá đầy đủ)
teeth”:
- They left for a weekend camping armed to the teeth with pots
and pans, tins and tents, raincoats and rubber boots!
= every single day without change or exception (ngày này sang ngày khác)
- Mr. Wright wears the same old shirt and trousers day in day
Day in day out
out. It’s time he bought some new ones!
= for a possible time of financial difficulty in the future (để dành phòng khi
túng thiếu)
For a rainy day
- The older you get, the more you begin to think about saving
for a rainy day.
= have been better in the past (đã từng có thời huy hoàng, giàu sang, ...)
- Mr. Forbes has certainly seen better days. Before he went
Have seen better days
bankrupt, he had been the boss of a big company.
In the nick of time = just as; at the last possible moment (vừa sát nút)
- We got on to the platform in the nick of time, just as the guard was blowing his
hwhistle!
17. Idioms wit “tooth, teeth”:
As clear as crystal/ daylight = obvious, easy to understand (rõ như ban ngày)
As clear as mud = not at all clear or easy to understand (chẳng rõ ràng chút nào)
= calm and controlled at a time of difficulty or danger (rất bình
As cool as a cucumber
tĩnh)
= sly, scheming, planning secretly to one’s own advantage (quỷ
As cunning as a fox
quyệt như cáo già)
As deaf as a post = extremely deaf (điếc đặc)
As different as chalk and/ = very different (khác nhau rất rõ)
from cheese
As fit as a fiddle = in good physical condition; active (sung sức)
As gentle as a lamb = very gentle (hiền như bụt)
As greedy as a pig = very greedy (tham lam như lợn)
As old as the hills = very old (xưa như trái đất)
As quick as lightning/ a = very quick (nhanh như chớp)
Flash
As quiet as a mouse = reserved and shy; making no noise (im như thóc)
= used of sb’s face turned pale because of a shock, fright or
As white as a sheet/ chalk
illness (tắng nhợt, trắng bệt)
20. Miscellaneous:
Idioms Meanings & Examples
= to show no sign of surprise or worry when something unexpected
happens (không thèm để ý tới)
Not bat an eye/ an eyelid
- She told him she'd spent all her savings but he didn't bat an
eye / eyelid.
- to have the qualities and abilities needed for sth (có khả năng hoặc phẩm
be cut out for sth / be cut out
chất để làm việc gì)
to be sth
- Larry is not cut out for teaching/ to be a teacher.
= improving very quickly (tiến bộ nhanh)
- I’m very surprised to see that your Spanish has improved in leaps and
By/ in leaps and bounds
bounds.