Comparing "gan" and "zuo"

干 and 做 both are verbs that mean “to do” as in “to do work” or “to do a job.” 做 can be used in formal/informal settings, whereas 干 is used more often in informal speech and writing. A key difference between these words is 做 also can mean “to do” in the sense of “to make”, whereas 干 does not have this usage.

A2HSK2ASV4567

	干 (gàn)	做 (zuò)
Meaning	to do	to do, to make
Part of Speech	verb	verb
Formality	informal	flexible

:Yes

To say “to do” in the sense of “to make” use 做

Common Phrases

• 做饭
• 做衣服
• 做家具

To say “to do” in the sense of “to act” or “to take action” use 干

Common Phrases

• 干活儿