Comparing "gan" and "zuo"

Revision as of 07:24, 18 April 2022 by WikiSysop (talk | contribs)

干 (gàn) and 做 (zuò) are both verbs that mean "to do" as in "to do work" or "to have nothing to do." 做 can be used in both formal and informal settings, whereas 干 is used more often in informal speech and writing. A key difference between these words is that 做 also can mean "to make," whereas 干 does not have any similar usage.











B1HSK4ASV4567
干 (gàn) 做 (zuò)
Meaning to do to do, to make
Part of Speech verb verb
Formality informal flexible

干 does have some common informal set phrases

These phrases are common in informal speech and writing (such as on WeChat), so you should really know them.

Common Phrases

  • 干活儿
  • 干嘛
  • 干掉

Example Sentences

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做 meaning "to do" has some common set phrases

Common Phrases

  • 做事

Example Sentences

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做 and 干 are often interchangeable

Just keep in mind that 干 is only suitable for informal language. Don't replace a 做 with 干 in a formal setting!

Common Phrases

  • 做什么 / 干什么

Example Sentences

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做 can mean "to make"

Common Phrases

  • 做饭
  • 做衣服
  • 做作业
  • 做爱

Example Sentences

做 can mean "to be"

Common Phrases

  • 做人
  • 做朋友

Example Sentences

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Sources and further reading

Websites