Family is an integral part of our lives, and it often comes up in our conversations. In English, many family phrasal verbs are used to describe relationships, raising children, disagreements, and important life changes. By learning these expressions, you can communicate more effectively and express your thoughts and feelings more naturally.
In this lesson, you’ll learn a practical, well-organized guide to phrasal verbs related to family. Each phrasal verb includes meaning, natural examples, and grammar notes. The list avoids repetition, highlights key differences (like split up vs. break up), and adds missing family-focused verbs such as bring up and take care of.
List of Common Family Phrasal Verbs
The following phrasal verbs are commonly used when discussing family relationships, raising children, and important life events.
- Be named after
- Bring someone up
- Fall out with someone
- Get along/on with
- Get together
- Grow apart
- Grow up
- Look after
- Look up to
- Take after
- Take care of
- Tell someone off
- Settle down
- Split up
- Break up
- Make up
- Put up with
- Pass away
Family Phrasal Verbs with Meaning and Examples
Understanding the exact meaning and correct usage of family phrasal verbs helps you communicate naturally in conversations about relationships and life changes.
Be named after
My son was named after my father.
Bring someone up
My parents brought me up to be honest and respectful.
Fall out with someone
I fell out with my sister over money, but we talked later.
Get along/on with
I get along with my brother-in-law very well.
Get together
We’re getting together with my cousins for Thanksgiving.
Learning to use get together is essential for describing family reunions and social gatherings. This phrase is especially common when planning casual meetups with relatives.
Grow apart
My best friend and I grew apart after college.
Grow up
I grew up in a big family.
Look after
I have to look after my little sister while my parents are at work.
Look up to
I’ve always looked up to my grandfather.
This phrasal verb expresses deep respect and admiration, emotions that are fundamental in family relationships. Using it correctly helps you express genuine feelings about family members you value.
Take after
My daughter takes after her father in many ways.
Take care of
My older brother took care of me when I was sick.
Tell someone off
My mom told me off for talking back to my grandmother.
Tell someone off is a family-specific phrase that captures parental discipline in a natural way. When using a pronoun, always split the verb: “tell him off,” not “tell off him.”
Settle down
After years of traveling, my brother settled down and started a family.
Split up
My aunt and uncle split up after 20 years of marriage.
Break up
My cousin and his girlfriend broke up last week.
Understanding the difference between break up and split up helps you speak appropriately about relationship changes. Use “break up” for dating couples and “split up” for long-term relationships or marriages.
Make up
My sister and I made up after not speaking for months.
Put up with
My dad puts up with my brother’s messy habits because he loves him.
Pass away
My grandfather passed away last year.
Dialogue Examples: Family Phrasal Verbs in Context
The following dialogue demonstrates how family phrasal verbs are used naturally in everyday conversations.
- A
- Your kids are so polite. How did you do that?
- B
- Thanks. We tried to bring them up to respect others.
- A
- That’s a good approach. Do you have any tips?
- B
- Just be consistent and praise them when they do well. And when they mess up, tell them off clearly, so they understand consequences.
- A
- That makes sense. I know my sister and I used to fight a lot when we were kids. How did your children get along with each other?
- B
- Oh, they still argue sometimes. Last week they fell out over a video game, but thankfully they made up the next day.
- A
- That’s good. My siblings and I grew apart after college, and I regret not staying closer to them.
- B
- My brother actually grew up in a different city because of work, so I really look up to him for staying connected with us.
- A
- Have you ever worried about them settling down too young?
- B
- A little, but I think as long as they grew up with good values, they’ll make wise choices.
- A
- How long has your brother been settled down now?
- B
- About five years. Before that, he traveled a lot, but then he met someone special and everything changed.
- A
- That’s wonderful. And your parents? Are they getting older?
- B
- Yes, my mom is starting to need more help. I’ve been looking after her, and my brother and sister help too.
- A
- That’s beautiful. Family is everything. It’s tragic when couples split up after so many years together.
- B
- It is, but sometimes people just grow apart. My cousin’s parents went through a painful separation.
- A
- I can’t imagine the kids dealing with that. I hope they’re okay.
- B
- They are now. Both parents put up with each other for the sake of the children, but it wasn’t healthy. They’re actually happier now.
Common Mistakes with Family Phrasal Verbs
Learning family phrasal verbs is challenging because some are separable and others are not. Here are the most common mistakes to avoid:
❌ Wrong I looked my father up to very much.
✅ Correct I looked up to my father very much.
Look up to is inseparable, so you cannot place the object in the middle. Always keep the phrasal verb together, then add the object.
❌ Wrong My mom told off me for being rude.
✅ Correct My mom told me off for being rude.
When tell someone off has a pronoun object, the pronoun MUST split the phrasal verb. Say “tell me off,” never “tell off me.”
❌ Wrong My aunt and uncle broke up after 25 years of marriage.
✅ Correct My aunt and uncle split up after 25 years of marriage.
Break up is standard for dating couples. Split up sounds more natural for married couples or long-term partnerships ending.
Key Grammar Notes
👉 To continue expanding your phrasal verb knowledge, explore health phrasal verbs for medical conversations or business phrasal verbs for professional settings.