Meaning of 搞
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to do
- to make
- to go in for
- to set up
- to get hold of
- to take care of
How to use 搞
搞 is a very common, casual verb that can replace many more specific verbs like 做 (zuò) or 弄 (nòng), depending on context. It often pairs with result words, as in 搞定 (gǎodìng, to settle) or 搞错 (gǎocuò, to make a mistake). Example: 这件事我来搞定。(Zhè jiàn shì wǒ lái gǎodìng.) I will take care of this.
搞 (gǎo) has the hand radical 扌 on the left and 高 (gāo, tall) on the right, which also hints at the sound. Picture a hand reaching up high to get something done.
Common mistake: Learners often say gāo (first tone) because of 高, but 搞 is third tone, gǎo. Also do not confuse it with 稿 (gǎo, draft), which has the grain radical 禾 instead of the hand radical.
搞 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
搞 gǎo · to do · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 搞.
| 搞好 | gǎohǎo | to do well at; to do a good job |
| 搞笑 | gǎoxiào | to get people to laugh; funny |
| 搞鬼 | gǎoguǐ | to make mischief; to play tricks |
| 搞定 | gǎodìng | to fix; to settle |
| 搞砸 | gǎozá | to mess (sth) up; to foul up |
| 搞错 | gǎocuò | mistake; to make a mistake |
| 搞不懂 | gǎobudǒng | unable to make sense of (sth) |
| 搞不好 | gǎobuhǎo | (coll.) maybe; perhaps |
| 乱搞 | luàngǎo | to make a mess; to mess with |
| 难搞 | nángǎo | hard to deal with; hard to get along with |
| 搞混 | gǎohùn | to confuse; to muddle |
| 搞乱 | gǎoluàn | to mess up; to mismanage |
Questions about 搞
What does 搞 mean?
搞 (gǎo) means "to do; to make" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 搞?
搞 is made of 1 character: 搞 (13 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 搞 an HSK word?
Yes. 搞 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 搞 too informal to use in writing?
搞 is mostly spoken and casual, but it also appears in set phrases like 搞好关系 (gǎohǎo guānxì, to build good relations). In formal writing, people often choose more precise verbs such as 进行 (jìnxíng) or 处理 (chǔlǐ).
What is the difference between 搞 and 弄?
Both are vague verbs meaning to do or handle something, and they often overlap, as in 搞错 and 弄错. 弄 (nòng) leans toward handling physical things, while 搞 is more common for activities, projects, and abstract matters like 搞研究 (gǎo yánjiū, to do research).