Emotional Phrasal Verbs
Describing emotions is easier when you know the right phrasal verbs. These expressions are common in everyday conversation and in written English.
Positive Emotions
| Phrasal Verb | German | Example |
|---|---|---|
| cheer up | aufheitern/aufmuntern | The good news really cheered me up. |
| look forward to | sich freuen auf | I’m looking forward to the weekend. |
| light up | aufleuchten/strahlen | Her face lit up when she saw him. |
| open up | sich öffnen/aufschließen | He finally opened up about his feelings. |
Negative Emotions
| Phrasal Verb | German | Example |
|---|---|---|
| break down | zusammenbrechen | She broke down in tears. |
| let down | enttäuschen | I don’t want to let you down. |
| bottle up | unterdrücken/in sich hineinfressen | Don’t bottle up your anger. |
| stress out | stressen/belasten | Too much work stresses me out. |
| freak out | ausrasten/in Panik geraten | He freaked out when he heard the news. |
Calming and Recovering
| Phrasal Verb | German | Example |
|---|---|---|
| calm down | sich beruhigen | Take a breath and calm down. |
| get over | überwinden/hinwegkommen | It took months to get over the loss. |
| bounce back | sich erholen | She bounced back quickly after the setback. |
| snap out of | aus etwas herausreißen | Snap out of it — things will get better! |
| wind down | entspannen/abschalten | I read to wind down before sleep. |
Social Emotions
| Phrasal Verb | German | Example |
|---|---|---|
| warm up to | sich anfreunden mit | It took time, but I warmed up to the idea. |
| fall out with | sich zerstreiten mit | They fell out with each other last year. |
| make up | sich versöhnen | They argued but made up later. |
| reach out | sich melden/Kontakt aufnehmen | Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help. |
Be careful with “get over it” in conversation. Depending on tone, it can sound dismissive or unsympathetic. Use it carefully when talking about someone’s feelings.