做 zuò — to do; to make

Meanings

1. 1

   to do; to make

   The general verb for doing and making: 做饭 to cook, 做菜 to prepare a dish, 你在做什么？ what are you doing? It always takes an object.

   verb
2. 2

   to work as, to be (a profession)

   verb

Example sentences

• 你在做什么？/你在做什麼？Nǐ (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) shénme? (second tone, rising)···

  What are you doing?

• 我想做一个中国菜。/我想做一個中國菜。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) zuò (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) Zhōngguó (first tone, high and level) cài. (fourth tone, falling)···

  I’d like to cook a Chinese dish.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我做在椅子上。

  Correct我坐在椅子上。

  做 and 坐 are both zuò. 做 is to do or make; 坐 is to sit. Only the character tells them apart, so the context has to carry the meaning in speech.

Similar words