为 wèi — act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become
他为家人做了一顿晚饭。Tā wèi jiā rén zuò le yí dùn wǎn fàn.He made a dinner for his family.
Common words: 因为 (yīn wèi)、认为 (rèn wéi)、成为 (chéng wéi)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to do"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to do", including 为 (wèi), 作 (zuò), 做 (zuò), 干 (gān / gàn), 办 (bàn), 施 (shī). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to do" covers 9 different Chinese characters — 为 (wèi), 作 (zuò), 做 (zuò), 干 (gān / gàn), 办 (bàn), 施 (shī), 弄 (nòng / lòng), 搞 (gǎo) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 9 characters do not share a sound — their readings span wèi, zuò, gān, gàn, bàn, shī, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 为 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 为 wèiact as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to becomeUseful words: 因为, 认为
- 作 zuòto regard as; to take (somebody) for; to do; to makeUseful words: 工作, 动作
- 做 zuòto do; to make; to produceUseful words: 做饭, 做到
- 干 gān / gàndry; to concern; shield; to work; to do; to manageUseful words: 干净, 干什么
- 办 bànto do; to manage; to handle; to go about; to run; to set upUseful words: 办法, 办公室
Common words for these 9 "to do" characters
Anchor each of these 9 characters in a word you can picture — start with 为 (wèi) — so "to do" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
因为yīn wèibecause; owing to; on account of认为rèn wéito believe; to think; to consider; to feel成为chéng wéito become; to turn into工作gōng zuòto work; (of a machine) to operate; job; work动作dòng zuòmovement; motion; action; to act作用zuò yòngto act on; to affect; action; function做饭zuò fànto prepare a meal; to cook做到zuò dàoto accomplish; to achieve做法zuò fǎway of handling sth; method for making; work method; recipe干净gān jìngclean; neat
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 9 ways to say "to do".
作 zuò — to regard as; to take (somebody) for; to do; to make
这幅画是他的作品。Zhè fú huà shì tā de zuò pǐn.This painting is his work.
Common words: 工作 (gōng zuò)、动作 (dòng zuò)、作用 (zuò yòng)
做 zuò — to do; to make; to produce
周末我喜欢自己做点心。Zhōu mò wǒ xǐ huan zì jǐ zuò diǎn xin.On weekends I like to make snacks myself.
Common words: 做饭 (zuò fàn)、做到 (zuò dào)、做法 (zuò fǎ)
干 gān / gàn — dry; to concern; shield; to work; to do; to manage
衣服已经晒干了。Yī fu yǐ jīng shài gān le.The clothes have already dried.
Common words: 干净 (gān jìng)、干什么 (gàn shén me)、干杯 (gān bēi)
办 bàn — to do; to manage; to handle; to go about; to run; to set up
这件事我来办。Zhè jiàn shì wǒ lái bàn.I will handle this matter.
Common words: 办法 (bàn fǎ)、办公室 (bàn gōng shì)、怎么办 (zěn me bàn)
施 shī — (surname); distribute (alms); to do; to execute; to carry out
这条新规定下周开始实施。Zhè tiáo xīn guī dìng xià zhōu kāi shǐ shí shī.This new rule will take effect next week.
Common words: 措施 (cuò shī)、实施 (shí shī)、设施 (shè shī)
弄 nòng / lòng — lane; alley; to do; to manage; to handle; to play with
别把房间弄乱了。Bié bǎ fáng jiān nòng luàn le.Do not make a mess of the room.
Common words: 玩弄 (wán nòng)、卖弄 (mài nong)、嘲弄 (cháo nòng)
搞 gǎo — to do; to make; to go in for; to set up; to get hold of; to take care of
这次活动是大家一起搞起来的。Zhè cì huó dòng shì dà jiā yì qǐ gǎo qǐ lái de.This event was organized by everyone together.
Common words: 搞好 (gǎo hǎo)、搞鬼 (gǎo guǐ)、搞笑 (gǎo xiào)
All 9 characters
Open 为、作、做 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.