Let's figure out the meaning of the phrasal verb to figure out!
Hello my dear friends and welcome to English Mania!
My name is Antonia Romaker and today we will study
one of the most popular English phrasal verbs - to figure out.
Native speakers use this one left, right and center!
In other words all the time!
So let's cut to the chase!
To figure out means to understand or solve something.
Let's take a look at a bunch of examples, they will help.
To figure out the meaning of the phrasal verb to figure out!
It takes most people some time to figure out new software.
Here you can say to figure out how to use new software.
So you can use a clause after this phrasal verb.
It took them about a month to figure out how to start the equipment.
They had to understand how to start it.
And it took them about a month.
He can't figure out what she wants.
So he can't understand what she wants! It's crazy!
Bob meanwhile was racking his brains trying to figure out what could have happened.
The second meaning of this phrasal verb is to calculate an amount.
For examples: My father is trying to figure out his tax.
So he is estimating, calculating all the data
and he tries to figure out his tax.
Now an example from the TV show The Big Bang Theory.
You need to figure out if you are in a relationship
or if you are just calling it one.
So you are not actually in a relationship... or are you?
You need to figure that out, you need to understand.
And another example from the same TV show.
I just need to figure out the right time to pop the question.
I need to understand when I should do it,
I need to think about it and solve this problem.
I need to figure out the right time to pop the question.
So once again to sum up,
If you figure out a solution to a problem
or the reason for something,
you succeed in solving it or in understanding it.
Notice that after this phrasal verb we can use a noun,
with adjectives or no adjectives,
or an infinitive with how, what, why and so on or a clause.
How to use new software,
we have an infinitive here with how.
What she wants, we have a clause.
OK, that's it about this phrasal verb to figure out.
I hope that now you have figured out the meaning of the phrasal verb to figure out.
OK, that's it for today!I hope that you enjoyed watching this class,
and now you know the meaning of the phrasal verb to figure out.
As I have already said, it's used a lot.
So make sure to notice it, to remember it,
to use it yourself now and then.
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