作, 干, 办, 搞 -- Various ways to say "to do"?

[cwmccabe]

I don't know if this would be appropriate for the grammar rules sticky, but it would help me if someone could provide examples and grammatical explanations of the different ways to say "to do" in Mandarin. In particular, I'm not entirely clear on the distinctions between 作 (zuo4), 干 (gan1), 办 (ban4), and 搞 (gao3). (Are there other common words I'm missing?)

[lokki]

There are probably a few more. Afaics you are missing the other zuo4 做. At least to me it is not clear at all when to use 作 and when to use 做. At the moment I am using 作 in 工作 and 做 everywhere else.

Then maybe 当 dang1 can be considered rather close in meaning as well since it is used for "doing" a certain job, though that is more like "serve as" or even "be".

[Qiuyue]

there is also 操

[Quest]

At least to me it is not clear at all when to use 作 and when to use 做.

Take a look: http://www.anran.net/ss/17908/viewspace-39.html

Try to learn them in established composite words, 作 for example, is rarely used by itself as a verb.

[jade-]

I heard 干 and 搞 have sexual meaning in the language spoken in Taiwan. To us from mainland, we use them all as "to do", although we are aware of the sexual meaning of 干.

[muyongshi]

although we are aware of the sexual meaning of 干

and use! Mainlanders use both 干 and 搞 in there sexual meaning as well. They also mean to do but they are used as both. But there is no stigmatism towards using them in daily speech despite their alternative usage.

[Mugi]

But there is no stigmatism towards using them in daily speech despite their alternative usage.

Whereas there is in Taiwan.

[jade-]

and use! Mainlanders use both 干 and 搞 in there sexual meaning as well. They also mean to do but they are used as both. But there is no stigmatism towards using them in daily speech despite their alternative usage

Oh boy, I hope you are a man.

Agree with you. I guess the difference is when the Taiwanese use them, they more emphasize their sexual meaning. In mainland, most likely the men use them with their sexual meaning (women sometimes under certain circumstances). Both men and women use them as neutral word of "to do".

[muyongshi]

Whereas there is in Taiwan.

So if there is such a stigmatism towards it or even just a lack of use due to it's alternative meaning when they constantly say 你干嘛 or 在干吗 there initial thought is to think what are you screwing???? Right??? :mrgreen:

[adrianlondon]

你干吗？

生小马！

[SWWLiu]

So if there is such a stigmatism towards it or even just a lack of use due to it's alternative meaning when they constantly say 你干嘛 or 在干吗 there initial thought is to think what are you screwing???? Right???

你干吗？

生小马！

Aside from prurient aspects of "street talk" and "gang speak", over which we have no control, I think the usually abrupt expression "你幹嘛？" indicates strong disapproval and demand for explanation. (By the way, I don't think "你幹嗎?" even makes good colloquial sense to me. The alternative would be "你幹什麼?")

[SWWLiu]

干 (gan1)' date=' 办 (ban4), and 搞 (gao3). (Are there other common words I'm missing?)

[/quote']

辦事 to do business, to carry out an official procedure/process

辦事處 governmental agency for official business

怎麼辦？ [What a mess!] What should we do next?

代辦 agent, charge d'affaire

辦公 to work (in an official capacity)

辦公室 office

怎麼搞的？ What happened? (surprised and frustrated about the status quo)

搞科學的 [slang,slightly derogatory unless self-referential, for] science student, science researcher, etc.

搞革命 [informal, deprecatory] to serve as a revolutionary

搞不懂，搞不通 don't see it; don't understand it

搞不好 ... In the worst case scenario, ...

[jade-]

By the way, I don't think "你幹嗎?" even makes good colloquial sense to me. The alternative would be "你幹什麼?"

We people from mainland use 你干嘛/吗 quite frequently, it has equal meaning of 你干什么。

[SWWLiu]

Quote:

By the way' date=' I don't think "你幹嗎?" even makes good colloquial sense to me. The alternative would be "你幹什麼?"

We people from mainland use 你干嘛/吗 quite frequently, it has equal meaning of 你干什么。

[/quote']

Really?

Do you say "你干嘛?" (ni3 gan4 ma3?) but "你干吗?" (ni3 gan4 ma1?)

with the difference in tone of the last word? (I meant it in the sense of "What are you doing?")

[jade-]

Do you say "你干嘛?" (ni3 gan4 ma3?) but "你干吗?" (ni3 gan4 ma1?)

with the difference in tone of the last word? (I meant it in the sense of "What are you doing?")

“你干嘛?" and "你干吗?" both mean “what are you doing?”

Here, 吗 and 嘛 both are pronounced as second tone.

There is a slight difference between你干嘛 and 你干吗

你干吗 – it is neutral, just a question

你干嘛 – the speaker may be complaining or expressing his/her opinion

However, most people ignore this difference and use them as the same. They are almost interchangeable now.

吗 is also used in the end of question with the light tone, or in 吗啡, it is the third tone. I can hardly think of any case it is used as the first tone.

嘛 can be used as the fourth tone for Tianjin（天津）dialect. E.g. 嘛事？which is same as 什么事？

Do you use 嘛 as third tone and 吗 as first tone in Taiwan, or in Hong Kong?

[SWWLiu]

"你干嘛?" (ni3 gan4 ma3?) has a typo: I intended "你干嘛?" (ni3 gan4 ma2?)

Sorry. So, we agree on 嘛, jade-.

吗啡' date=' it is the third tone

[/quote']

Yes, it is the third tone here.

嗎 has the light tone when designating a question.

I find it very interesting that you are using 嘛 and 嗎 interchangeably, both in the second tone, at least in this case. I guess to tell them apart and ascertain neutrality, we will have to rely on intonation, emphasis, and the speed of delivery -- the faster, the edgier.