Understanding Phrasal Verbs with ‘Try’: A Comprehensive Guide

Discover the proper usage of essential phrasal verbs featuring ‘try,’ such as ‘try on’ (clothing), ‘.

Why Phrasal Verbs With Try Matters

This lesson is an educational bonus focused entirely on English phrasal verbs, idiomatic expressions, and everyday uses centered around the verb “try”.

Phrasal Verbs With Try: Fast Recap

This educational lesson focuses on mastering common English phrasal verbs related to ‘try’.

The goal is to understand how adding different particles (prepositions/adverbs) drastically changes the meaning of ‘try’. To practice these phrases in conversation via repetition, context clues, and a translation test.

What to Practise

• First, use ‘try on’ when testing clothing or accessories to see if they fit.
• Next, use ‘try out’ to test an object, such as a car or gaming console, to see if it works properly.
• Also, use ‘try for’ to make an attempt at a goal, and ‘try out for’ when participating in an audition or sports selection.
• However, the informal expression ‘try it on’ means to test boundaries or see what you can get away with.
• Therefore, use ‘try back’ to describe attempting to contact someone again at a later time.

Phrasal Verbs With Try: Episode Roadmap

Clarifying ‘try on’ vs ‘try’

It distinguishes that ‘try on’ is strictly used for clothing or accessories worn on the body, preventing common errors when referring to food or drinks.

Distinguishing ‘try for’ and ‘try out for’

It teaches the difference between attempting a general goal (‘try for’) versus participating in an official selection or audition where candidates are evaluated (‘try out for’).

Explaining the informal ‘try it on’

It shows how a physical action (trying clothes) translates into an abstract, informal phrase used for testing someone’s limits or boundaries.

Using ‘try back’ for phone calls

It gives a natural alternative to the standard ‘call back’ when attempting to contact an unavailable person.

The ‘guinea pig’ for ‘try out on’

It uses the imagery of a ‘guinea pig’ to explain how to phrase testing new material (speech or recipe) on a friend for feedback.

Nuance of ‘give it the old college try’

It explains that this idiom means making an effort, but specifically in situations where success is unlikely.

Key Ideas to Remember

• First, use ‘try on’ when testing clothing or accessories to see if they fit.
• Next, use ‘try out’ to test an object (like a car) to check its function.
• Also, use ‘try for’ (a goal) vs ‘try out for’ (an audition).
• However, the informal ‘try it on’ means testing boundaries.
• Therefore, use ‘try back’ when calling someone later.

Phrasal Verbs With Try: Vocabulary

English	Español	Note / Uso
Pottery	Cerámica	Mentioned as an example of a skilled craft/hobby.
The jackpot	El gordo	Used in the context of trying one’s luck at the lottery.
Your turn	Tu turno	A common phrase for taking a turn in speaking or activity.
I’m going to	Voy a	Transcribed phonetically as ‘Boya’, used by The episode to contrast with ‘I will’ during the translation test.
He’s not in right now	No está	Captured by the lesson as ‘NOA’, likely representing the Spanish equivalent ‘no está’.
try on	Probarse (ropa o accesorios)	She tried on the dress to see if it was her style.
try out	Probar (un objeto para ver si funciona o gusta)	He’s trying out the new gaming console before deciding to buy it.
try for	Intentar conseguir (un objetivo o meta)	She’s trying for top of her class.
try out for	Hacer las pruebas de selección (para un equipo o audición)	He’s trying out for the soccer team next week.
try it on	Poner a prueba los límites / ver hasta dónde se puede llegar (informal)	Don’t try it on with your teacher, she won’t tolerate any nonsense.
try back	Volver a intentar contactar o llamar más tarde	I couldn’t reach her earlier so I’ll try back later this afternoon.
try on for size	Poner a prueba una idea o concepto para ver si es adecuado	Before committing to the plan let’s try it on for size and see how it goes.
try your hand at	Intentar una nueva actividad o habilidad	She tried her hand at pottery and found it very relaxing.

Practice Ideas

Concept	Explanation	Why it matters
try on	Putting on clothing or accessories to check if they fit or suit your style.	This applies ONLY to wearable items, unlike food/drinks. This simply use ‘try’.
try out	Testing a non-wearable object (like electronics) to ensure it works correctly and is enjoyable.	It distinguishes functional testing from trying on garments.
try for / try out for	‘Try for’ = attempting general goals; ‘try out for’ = specific competitive selections/auditions.	Understanding the context helps learners correctly frame their ambitions or applications.
try it on	An informal phrase meaning to test someone’s limits, patience, or endurance (e.g. misbehaving).	It gives a metaphorical use of ‘test’ beyond physical items.
try back	This means to attempt to contact someone again at a later time if they are currently unavailable.	It serves as a useful and natural conversational alternative to the common phrase ‘call back’.
try on for size	This phrase means to test an idea, concept, or plan to see if it is suitable or appealing before committing to it.	It helps learners apply the physical concept of fitting clothes to abstract business, planning, or decision-making scenarios.
try your hand at	This expression is used when attempting a new activity or skill for the first time, such as pottery or learning English.	It enriches a learner’s vocabulary for describing the process of picking up new hobbies and skills.
try something out on someone	This means to use another person as a ‘guinea pig’ to get their opinion on something new, like a recipe or a speech.	It provides a specific structure for expressing how to test material or creations with an audience.

Examples From the Episode

Source / Moment	Why it helps	Review cue
Nintendo and PlayStation	Demonstrates using ‘try out’ for testing an electronic device.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Cheerleading and Soccer tryouts	Used to practice ‘try out for’ in competitive selection scenarios.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Mini-dialogue	Uses ‘try something out on someone?’ to explain how one tests new ideas or speech on a friend.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Practicing a speech	A mini-dialogue (‘I have a speech tomorrow, can I try it out on you?’) used to explain the phrase ‘try something out on someone’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
If you can’t take the heat stay out of the kitchen	A cultural idiom recalled from a previous cooking episode to explain handling pressure and responsibility.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
The Beatles – Lady Madonna	The song and its lyrics (‘children at your feet, wonder how you manage to make ends meet’) are quoted as a cultural reference for the phrase ‘make ends meet’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Janis Joplin	Referenced by The episode as a pop culture musical example for the lyric ‘try just a little bit harder’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.

Try It Yourself

Use these prompts after reading the article. They are designed for active recall: say the answer aloud first, then check the tables above.

1. Explain this in your own words: Use ‘try on’ when testing clothing or accessories to see if they fit.
2. Explain this in your own words: Use ‘try out’ to test an object, such as a car or gaming console, to see if it works properly.
3. Explain this in your own words: Use ‘try for’ to make an attempt at a goal, and ‘try out for’ when participating in an audition or sports selection.
4. Make one original sentence with “try on” without starting from “probarse” in Spanish.
5. Make one original sentence with “try out” without starting from “probar” in Spanish.
6. Make one original sentence with “try for” without starting from “intentar conseguir” in Spanish.

Phrasal Verbs With Try: Glossary

Term	Meaning / Spanish
try on	probarse
try out	probar
try for	intentar conseguir
try out for	hacer las pruebas de selección
try it on	poner a prueba los límites
try back	volver a intentar contactar
try on for size	poner a prueba una idea
try your hand at	intentar una nueva habilidad
try something out on someone	usar a alguien de conejillo de indias
try someone out	poner a alguien a prueba
try it over	repetirlo para que salga bien
try your luck	probar suerte

Questions Learners Ask

What is the difference between the phrasal verbs 'try on' and 'try out'?

You should use 'try on' specifically when referring to putting on clothing or accessories to see if they fit. In contrast, 'try out' is used when testing an object, like a car or a video game console, to see if it works properly and is enjoyable.

When should I use 'try out for' instead of 'try for'?

'Try for' generally means attempting to achieve a goal or objective, such as trying to be at the top of your class. 'Try out for' is used specifically for auditions or sports team selections where candidates are evaluated and a cut is made, such as trying out for the soccer team or a school play.

What does the informal expression 'try it on' mean?

The informal expression 'try it on' means to test your boundaries and see what you can get away with. For example, a student might 'try it on' with a teacher by acting out to see how much nonsense the teacher will tolerate.

How do you use the English phrasal verb 'try back'?

'Try back' is a natural, conversational alternative to 'call back'. It is used when attempting to contact someone again at a later time. Therefore, they were initially unavailable. For example, if someone is not in the office, you can say, 'I'll try back later'.

What does the idiom 'give it the old college try' mean?

To 'give it the old college try' means to make a sincere and strong effort to accomplish a task. However, it carries the specific cultural connotation that success is unlikely despite the intense effort being made.

How do you use the phrase 'try on for size' with concepts or ideas?

While 'try on for size' can be used literally for fitting clothes, it has a common secondary meaning in planning and decision-making. It means to test an abstract idea, concept, or plan to see if it is suitable or appealing before fully committing to it.

Phrasal Verbs With Try: Quick Quiz

Review Cards