10 KEEP Phrasal Verbs You Need to Know | KEEP 動詞片語必學10個

KEEP is one of those English verbs that does far more than its dictionary definition suggests. You already know it means “to have” or “not to give back,” but native speakers routinely say things like “keep at it,” “keep your voice down,” or “keep from laughing” — none of which are obvious from the base verb alone. These KEEP phrasal verbs appear constantly in office conversations, everyday instructions, and even on public signs. Once you know the 10 most common, a large chunk of natural English starts clicking into place.

1. Keep Up | 跟上、保持步調

“Keep up” means to maintain the same pace or level as something or someone else — to not fall behind. It’s one of the most versatile entries on this list: you can keep up with work, with trends, with people, or with a physical pace.

• “I’ve been so busy — I can’t keep up with my email.” （我最近太忙了——無法跟上我的電子郵件。）
• “She runs so fast. I could barely keep up with her.” （她跑得很快。我幾乎跟不上她。）
• “Keep it up! You’re making real progress.” （繼續保持！你在真正進步了。）

Notice that last example: “keep it up” is an encouragement phrase — you’re telling someone to maintain whatever good thing they’re doing. You’ll hear it after a sports performance, a business result, or even a language learning streak.

Keep up: don’t fall behind — maintain the pace, whether in exercise, work, or learning.

2. Keep On | 繼續、持續做某事

“Keep on” means to continue doing something without stopping, often despite difficulty or obstacles. It carries a slightly stronger emphasis on persistence than simply “continue” — there’s an implication that stopping was tempting.

• “Keep on practicing every day and your English will improve.” （每天繼續練習，你的英文就會進步。）
• “"Elle kept on applying for jobs even after 20 rejections.” （她在被拒絕20次後仍繼續申請工作。）
• “Why do you keep on making the same mistake?” （你為什麼一直犯同樣的錯誤？）

That third example shows a frustrated meaning — “keep on” in a question often signals irritation. The speaker isn’t just noticing repetition; they’re questioning it. Tone is everything with this one.

Keep on: push through obstacles and continue — the verb of stubborn, productive persistence.

3. Keep Out | 阻止進入、禁止進入

“Keep out” means to prevent someone or something from entering a space. You’ll see it on signs — “Keep Out” in red letters means exactly what it says. As a phrasal verb in conversation, it means to exclude someone or to prevent access.

• “The fence was built to keep out wildlife.” （圍欄是為了阻止野生動物進入而建的。）
• “We need better insulation to keep out the cold.” （我們需要更好的隔熱材料來阻止寒冷。）
• “He was deliberately kept out of the decision-making process.” （他被刻意排除在決策過程之外。）

Note that “keep out” is separable: the object can come between the verb and particle (“keep the cold out”) or after it (“keep out the cold”). Both are correct, though pronouns must split it (“keep it out,” not “keep out it”).

Keep out: the clearest sign of where a boundary lies — and how to express it in English.

4. Keep Back | 保留、阻止、不透露

“Keep back” has two related meanings: to physically hold something or someone in place, and to withhold information or feelings. Both uses are common in business and personal English.

• “Security guards kept the crowd back from the stage.” （保安人員阻止人群靠近舞台。）
• “Is there something you’re keeping back from me?” （你有什麼事情在瞞著我嗎？）
• “Keep back 10% of the payment until the project is complete.” （在項目完成前保留10%的款項。）

In professional contexts, “keep back” around payments or documents means to withhold them deliberately — for security, leverage, or policy. In personal contexts, it often implies emotional withholding or secrecy.

Keep back: hold something in place — whether a crowd, a payment, or a secret.

5. Keep Down | 壓低聲音、維持低水平

“Keep down” covers several practical uses: keeping noise at a low level, keeping costs controlled, keeping food from coming back up (medical use), and suppressing a group or movement.

• “Could you keep it down? I’m trying to concentrate.” （你能小聲點嗎？我在嘗試集中注意力。）
• “We need to keep costs down this quarter.” （我們這季需要控制成本。）
• “The new medication helps patients keep food down after surgery.” （新藥物幫助患者在手術後保持食物不吐出。）

“Keep it down” is one of the most common informal requests for quiet in English-speaking environments — offices, libraries, apartments. The “it” refers to noise or volume, even though “it” isn’t technically specific. This is a fixed expression worth memorizing as a chunk.

Keep down: lower the volume, control the costs, or suppress the discomfort — one phrasal verb, multiple contexts.

6. Keep To | 遵守、堅持（計劃或路線）

“Keep to” means to stay within a set limit, rule, or plan. You keep to a schedule, a diet, a path, or an agreement. It implies discipline and adherence to something established.

• “Please keep to the designated path.” （請走指定路徑。）
• “We need to keep to the budget — no exceptions this time.” （我們需要遵守預算——這次沒有例外。）
• “"Elle keeps to herself at the office.” （她在辦公室裡不愛與人來往。）

That last example is a standalone idiom: “keeps to herself” means she’s private, introverted, or avoidant of social interaction. This is different from the planning/rule sense, but both use the same “staying within boundaries” logic.

Keep to: stay on the path, follow the plan, or respect the rules — discipline in motion.

7. Keep Away | 保持距離、遠離

“Keep away” means to maintain distance from something — either by choice or by instruction. You’ll encounter it in safety warnings, medical instructions, and personal boundaries.

• “Keep away from the edge of the platform.” （請遠離月台邊緣。）
• “The doctor told him to keep away from alcohol for six months.” （醫生告訴他六個月內要遠離酒精。）
• “I tried to keep away from the situation, but I got pulled in anyway.” （我試圖遠離這種情況，但還是被捲進去了。）

In Taiwan, you’ll sometimes see “Keep Away” on electrical equipment, chemical containers, or construction zones. Knowing this phrase means you understand safety signage in English-language workplaces without needing a translation.

Keep away: distance is the point — whether from danger, temptation, or conflict.

8. Keep From | 阻止、忍住

“Keep from” means to prevent someone from doing something, or to stop yourself from doing something (often with difficulty). The self-control sense is particularly common.

• “I could barely keep from laughing during the meeting.” （會議中我幾乎忍不住笑出來。）
• “What’s keeping you from applying for the promotion?” （什麼原因讓你沒有申請升職？）
• “They tried to keep the news from the public.” （他們試圖對公眾隱瞞這個消息。）

The second example is a job interview question phrased as a phrasal verb. “What’s keeping you from X?” means “What’s preventing you from X?” — and it carries a challenge tone: why haven’t you done this already?

9. Keep At | 持續努力、堅持不懈

“Keep at” means to continue working hard on something difficult, often over a long period. It’s an encouragement verb — you say it when someone is struggling but shouldn’t give up.

• “Learning a language is hard, but keep at it.” （學語言很難，但要堅持下去。）
• “He’s been keeping at the same project for three years without results.” （他已經堅持做同一個項目三年了，但還沒有結果。）
• “If you keep at pronunciation practice, it does get easier.” （如果你持續練習發音，它確實會變得更容易。）

“Keep at it” is one of those fixed encouragement phrases that English teachers and coaches use constantly. It’s warmer than “don’t give up” and more specific than “try harder” — it acknowledges current effort and asks for its continuation.

10. Keep Up With | 跟上（進展或變化）

“Keep up with” is the expanded form of “keep up” — and it functions slightly differently. Where “keep up” focuses on pace, “keep up with” focuses on tracking something that’s constantly changing: trends, news, technology, a person’s output.

• “It’s hard to keep up with all the new AI tools coming out.” （很難跟上所有新出現的AI工具。）
• “She reads the news every morning to keep up with current events.” （她每天早上閱讀新聞，以掌握時事。）
• “I can’t keep up with the amount of work coming in.” （我無法跟上湧進來的工作量。）

“Keeping up with the Joneses” is a famous English idiom built on this phrasal verb — it means competing with your neighbours’ lifestyle and status. Whether it’s the Joneses, AI trends, or your workload, the challenge is the same: change moves faster than you do.

Watch and Practice | 影片練習 KEEP 動詞片語

Hearing these phrasal verbs in real conversational speech accelerates retention significantly. This lesson from a dedicated English teacher covers the most essential KEEP phrasal verbs with authentic examples:

Quick Reference | KEEP 動詞片語速查表

Related Phrasal Verb Guides | 更多動詞片語指南

KEEP belongs to a family of high-frequency English verbs that generate essential phrasal verb clusters. Explore these related guides to build your phrasal verb vocabulary systematically:

• Phrasal Verbs with GET | GET片語動詞完整指南 — 20 GET expressions essential for work and daily life in English
• Phrasal Verbs with MAKE | MAKE片語動詞完整指南 — from “make up” to “make out,” the complete MAKE phrasal verb family
• Phrasal Verbs with GO | GO片語動詞職場英文指南 — GO phrasal verbs in real workplace and social English contexts

The pattern across all KEEP phrasal verbs is containment: you’re either holding something in place, holding something back, holding on to a pace, or holding yourself to a standard. That underlying logic — control, restraint, and maintenance — is what makes KEEP such a productive verb in English. Keep at your vocabulary building, and eventually these patterns become instinctive rather than translated.

Sources

1. Cambridge Dictionary: KEEP phrasal verbs — authoritative reference for all KEEP verb combinations with usage notes
2. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries: Keep (verb) — comprehensive definition entries for all KEEP phrasal verb forms
3. British Council: Phrasal Verbs Reference — grammar guide and practice exercises for English phrasal verbs at intermediate level