Comparing "gan" and "zuo"

Revision as of 06:07, 19 October 2021 by Malihua (talk | contribs)

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.











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

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