Spanish phrasal verbs

Question

The most difficult feature of English language (at least for myself) are "Phrasal verbs".

Today I stumbled upon one sentence from a newspaper that made think about Phrasal verbs in Spanish. If we compare these two sentences:

Facebook saldrá a la bolsa. (it will get into the stock market).
Facebook saldrá de la bolsa. (it will get out the stock market).

we get different meanings, despite the fact the same verb is used.

Is such a feature called "Spanish phrasal verbs" a matter of research within Spanish language, or at least a topic used when teaching Spanish to English speakers?

Answer 1

The examples you wrote about are not phrasal verbs. I don't think there is such a thing as phrasal verbs in Spanish.

They are verbs that sometimes change their meaning totally. For example, the verb "to take" means that you grab something with your hands and you lift it up (an example). The verb "to take after" doesn't mean that you grab later, or at least not as you might intend it literally. It means "to resemble (a parent or ancestor)", such as in the sentence:

You took after your mother.

The verb you used in your examples, "salir" is just a verb plus prepositions.

Some expressions that might be considered "phrasal verbs", like "tener que" that means "to have to", but that instead are called perífrasis verbales are the following:

1. "list element" + Infinitive:

   Ir a, pensar, tratar de, venir a, darle (a uno) por, echar(se) a, empezar (comenzar – más formal) a, estar a punto de, meterse a, ponerse a, romper a, acabar de, acabar por, dejar de, llegar a, deber, haber (3^rd person) + que, haber de, tener que, deber de, volver al, estar para, estar por, pasar a, quedar en.

   Example: Estoy por irme (estar por + ir)

2. "list element" + verb in -ing form:

   andar, estar, ir, llevar, quedarse, seguir, continuar, venir, verse.

   Example: Sigo escuchando esa canción. (seguir + escuchar)

3. "list element" + past participle:

   andar, dar por, dejar, estar, ir, venir, llevar, quedar.

   Example: Llevamos explicadas 10 lecciones. (llevar + explicar)