Comparing "gao" and "nong"
搞 and 弄 both are verbs that mean to do or to make and sometimes can be used interchangeably. 搞 is used in informal or formal situations, whereas 弄 is used more in informal situations. The key to understanding the difference between 搞 and 弄 is that what they are paired with and the context they are used in largely determines their meaning, as well as whether it is best to use 搞 or 弄. Both words can be used in a wide variety of pairs and contexts, some are fixed patterns and some are entirely dependent on the situation.
