The phrasal verb "chop up" is predominantly used in informal contexts, as it often describes a straightforward, everyday action. Commonly, it is used to refer to cutting something into smaller pieces, such as vegetables or food ingredients during cooking ('I need to chop up some onions for the stew'). Its utility in culinary settings makes it frequent in casual conversations, cooking shows, and recipe instructions. In more formal writing or speech, you might simply encounter 'chop' or 'cut into pieces'. Beyond culinary uses, 'chop up' can metaphorically extend to breaking down complex subjects or tasks into more manageable parts, though in such cases, people might opt for formal terms like 'analyze' or 'dissect'. Nonetheless, its primary association remains with physical cutting, reflecting a direct, practical action in everyday life.
A2
Beginner
1. To cut something into smaller pieces, often using a knife or other sharp instrument.
I need to chop up the vegetables for the soup.
She spent the afternoon chopping up logs for the fire.
2. To divide something into smaller, often manageable or usable, parts.
The project was too much to handle at once, so we decided to chop it up into smaller tasks.
He chopped up the report and distributed the sections among team members.