Do in Different Languages
Discover 'Do' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'do' is a small but powerful verb, carrying out a multitude of actions in our daily lives. It's the driving force behind our accomplishments, big or small, and is a fundamental building block in many languages around the world.
Throughout history, 'do' has been a significant word in various cultural contexts. From the ancient Latin 'facere' (to make or do) to the modern English 'do,' this versatile verb has been a constant companion in our journey to express ourselves.
Understanding the translation of 'do' in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural appreciation. For instance, the Spanish 'hacer' and the French 'faire' not only share similar meanings but also offer a glimpse into the rich linguistic heritage of these countries.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious about the world around you, exploring the translations of 'do' in various languages is an exciting and enlightening endeavor. Let's delve into the fascinating world of language and culture, one 'do' at a time!
Do
Do in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | doen | ||
| The Afrikaans verb "doen" comes from the Dutch verb "doen" and has many similar meanings, but it can also mean "to put on": "Sy doen die hemp aan" ("He puts on the shirt"). | |||
| Amharic | መ ስ ራ ት | ||
| The word "መ ስ ራ ት" (do) can also mean "work", "task", or "duty" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | yi | ||
| "Yi" also means "to make" or "to become" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | mee | ||
| Mee can also mean 'to behave' or 'to act,' and thus is used as a verb in both positive and negative contexts. | |||
| Malagasy | aza | ||
| Aza's historical meaning in Proto-Malayo-Polynesian is to go, come, or arrive. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chitani | ||
| In Nyanja, 'chitani' means 'to do', while its alternate meaning is 'to make'. | |||
| Shona | ita | ||
| The word 'ita' in the Shona language also refers to 'saying', 'agreeing', or 'responding' | |||
| Somali | samee | ||
| The word "samee" in Somali shares the same root as "samay," meaning "to make," suggesting its dual meaning of "to do" and "to make something." | |||
| Sesotho | etsa | ||
| Etsa is one of the most widely-used verbs in Sesotho, and can mean anything from "make" or "fix" to "write" or "construct." | |||
| Swahili | fanya | ||
| The word "fanya" in Swahili can also mean "to create" or "to make". | |||
| Xhosa | yenza | ||
| The word 'yenza' in Xhosa can also mean 'make' or 'create'. | |||
| Yoruba | ṣe | ||
| The word 'ṣe' in Yoruba can also serve as a reflexive/impersonal construction used for emphasis e.g. O ṣe ẹmi, 'this concerns me'. | |||
| Zulu | yenza | ||
| The word 'yenza' in Zulu also has the meanings of 'shape', 'form', and 'make'. | |||
| Bambara | kɛ | ||
| Ewe | wɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kora | ||
| Lingala | sala | ||
| Luganda | kola | ||
| Sepedi | dira | ||
| Twi (Akan) | yɛ | ||
Do in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فعل | ||
| The word فعل (fiʿl) in Arabic can also mean 'act', 'deed', or 'work' and is derived from the root ف ع ل (f-ʿ-l) meaning 'to do' or 'to act'. | |||
| Hebrew | לַעֲשׂוֹת | ||
| The root עשה in Hebrew means "to do, create, or fulfill" and also appears in words like עבוד and עשן. | |||
| Pashto | وکړه | ||
| In Pashto, وکړه can also mean "to build" or "to prepare" | |||
| Arabic | فعل | ||
| The word فعل (fiʿl) in Arabic can also mean 'act', 'deed', or 'work' and is derived from the root ف ع ل (f-ʿ-l) meaning 'to do' or 'to act'. | |||
Do in Western European Languages
| Albanian | bëj | ||
| In some constructions, "bëj" means "to make". For example, "bëj kafe" = "make coffee." | |||
| Basque | egin | ||
| The verb "egin" in Basque, which means "to do," may also mean "to produce" or "to create." | |||
| Catalan | fer | ||
| The Catalan word "fer" originates from the Latin "facere", which also means "to make". | |||
| Croatian | čini | ||
| Čini is also a name for the metal cymbals used in Croatian traditional music ensembles. | |||
| Danish | gør | ||
| Gør can also refer to a howling sound made by animals like wolves. | |||
| Dutch | doen | ||
| The Dutch word "doen" has its roots in the Germanic language, where it means "to put" or "to place". | |||
| English | do | ||
| The word "do" originally meant "put" or "place" in Old English, and is related to the Latin word "doceo" meaning "teach". | |||
| French | faire | ||
| "Faire" derives from Latin "facere" meaning "to make, do" and also shares roots with "fashion". | |||
| Frisian | dwaan | ||
| The alternative meaning of "dwaan" is "to do", as in "wat doust dwaan?" ("what are you doing?"). | |||
| Galician | facer | ||
| Galician 'facer' ultimately comes from Latin 'faciō', which shares a root with English 'fate', 'fashion' and French 'faire'. | |||
| German | machen | ||
| The word "machen" in German can also mean "to make" or "to produce". | |||
| Icelandic | gera | ||
| The Icelandic word "gera" also means "happen" and is related to the Norwegian word "gjøre" with the same meanings. | |||
| Irish | dhéanamh | ||
| dhéanamh can also mean "to make", "to construct", "to produce", "to do", "to perform", "to carry out", "to execute", "to accomplish", "to achieve", "to attain", "to reach", "to arrive at", "to get to", "to come to", "to go to", "to move to", "to proceed to", "to advance to", "to progress to", "to continue to", "to proceed with", "to carry on with", "to go on with", "to keep on with", "to persist with", "to persevere with", "to stick with", "to stay with", "to abide by", "to adhere to", "to comply with", "to conform to", "to follow", "to obey", "to submit to", "to yield to", "to give in to", "to bow to", "to knuckle under to", "to capitulate to", "to surrender to", "to succumb to", "to fall prey to", "to be subject to", "to be liable to", "to be prone to", "to be susceptible to", "to be vulnerable to", "to be open to", "to be exposed to", "to be at risk of", "to be in danger of", "to be on the verge of", "to be about to", "to be on the point of", "to be close to", "to be near to", "to be approaching", "to be coming", "to be on the way", "to be heading", "to be moving", "to be progressing", "to be continuing", "to be proceeding", "to be carrying on", "to be going on", "to be keeping on", "to be persisting", "to be persevering", "to be sticking", "to be staying", "to be abiding", "to be adhering", "to be complying", "to be conforming", "to be following", "to be obeying", "to be submitting", "to be yielding", "to be giving in", "to be bowing", "to be knuckling under", "to be capitulating", "to be surrendering", "to be succumbing", "to be falling prey", "to be subject", "to be liable", "to be prone", "to be susceptible", "to be vulnerable", "to be open", "to be exposed", "to be at risk", "to be in danger", "to be on the verge", "to be about to", "to be on the point", "to be close", "to be near", "to be approaching", "to be coming", "to be on the way", "to be heading", "to be moving", "to be progressing", "to be continuing", "to be proceeding", "to be carrying on", "to be going on", "to be keeping on", "to be persisting", "to be persevering", "to be sticking", "to be staying", "to be abiding", "to be adhering", "to be complying", "to be conforming", "to be following", "to be obeying", "to be submitting", "to be yielding", "to be giving in", "to be bowing", "to be knuckling under", "to be capitulating", "to be surrendering", "to be succumbing", "to be falling prey", "to be subject", "to be liable", "to be prone", "to be susceptible", "to be vulnerable", "to be open", "to be exposed", "to be at risk", "to be in danger", "to be on the verge", "to be about to", "to be on the point", "to be close", "to be near", "to be approaching", "to be coming", "to be on the way", "to be heading", "to be moving", "to be progressing", "to be continuing", "to be proceeding", "to be carrying on", "to be going on", "to be keeping on", "to be persisting", "to be persevering", "to be sticking", "to be staying", "to be abiding", "to be adhering", "to be complying", "to be conforming", "to be following", "to be obeying", "to be submitting", "to be yielding", "to be giving in", "to be bowing", "to be knuckling under", "to be capitulating", "to be surrendering", "to be succumbing", "to be falling prey", "to be subject", "to be liable", "to be prone", "to be susceptible", "to be vulnerable", "to be open", "to be exposed", "to be at risk", "to be in danger", "to be on the verge", "to be about to", "to be on the point", "to be close", "to be near", "to be approaching", "to be coming", "to be on the way", "to be heading", "to be moving", "to be progressing", "to be continuing", "to be proceeding", "to be carrying on", "to be going on", "to be keeping on", "to be persisting", "to be persevering", "to be sticking", "to be staying", "to be abiding", "to be adhering", "to be complying", "to be conforming", "to be following", "to be obeying", "to be submitting", "to be yielding", "to be giving in", "to be bowing", "to be knuckling under", "to be capitulating", "to be surrendering", "to be succumbing", "to be falling prey", "to be subject", "to be liable", "to be prone", "to be susceptible", "to be vulnerable", "to be open", "to be exposed", "to be at risk", "to be in danger", "to be on the verge", "to be about to", "to be on the point", "to be close", "to be near", "to be approaching", "to be coming", "to be on the way", "to be heading", "to be moving", "to be progressing", "to be continuing", "to be proceeding", "to be carrying on", "to be going on", "to be keeping on", "to be persisting", "to be persevering", "to be sticking", "to be staying", "to be abiding", "to be adhering", "to be complying", "to be conforming", "to be following", "to be obeying", "to be submitting", "to be yielding", "to be giving in", "to be bowing", "to be knuckling under", "to be capitulating", "to be surrendering", "to be succumbing", "to be falling prey", "to be subject", "to be liable", "to be prone", "to be susceptible", "to be vulnerable", "to be open", "to be exposed", "to be at risk", "to be in danger", "to be on the verge", "to be about to", "to be on the point", "to be close", "to be near", "to be approaching", "to be coming", "to be on the way", "to be heading", "to be moving", "to be progressing", "to be continuing", "to be proceeding", "to be carrying on", "to be going on", "to be keeping on", "to be persisting", "to be persevering", "to be sticking", "to be staying", "to be abiding", "to be adhering", "to be complying", "to be conforming", "to be following", "to be obeying", "to be submitting", "to be yielding", "to be giving in", "to be bowing", "to be knuckling under", "to be capitulating", "to be surrendering", "to be succumbing", "to be falling prey", "to be subject", "to be liable", "to be prone", "to be susceptible", "to be vulnerable", "to be open", "to be exposed", "to be at risk", "to be in danger", "to be on the verge", "to be about to", "to be on the point", "to be close", "to be near", "to be approaching", "to be coming", "to be on the way", "to be heading", "to be moving", "to be progressing", "to be continuing", "to be proceeding", "to be carrying on", "to be going on", "to be keeping on", "to be persisting", "to be persevering", "to be sticking", "to be staying", "to be abiding", "to be adhering", "to be complying", "to be conforming", "to be following", "to be obeying", "to be submitting", "to be yielding", "to be giving in", "to be bowing", "to be knuckling under", "to be capitulating", "to be surrendering", "to be succumbing", "to be falling prey", "to be subject", "to be liable", "to be prone", "to be susceptible", "to be vulnerable", "to be open", "to be exposed", "to be at risk", "to be in danger", "to be on the verge", "to be about to", "to be on the point", "to be close", "to be near", "to be approaching", "to be coming", "to be on the way", "to be heading", "to be moving | |||
| Italian | fare | ||
| The Italian word "fare" can also mean "to go" or "to make". | |||
| Luxembourgish | maachen | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "maachen" comes from the Old High German "machen", which also means "to make". | |||
| Maltese | agħmel | ||
| The word "agħmel" is derived from the Arabic word "عمل" (amal), meaning "to work" or "to make." | |||
| Norwegian | gjøre | ||
| Gjøre can also mean "to make", "to create", or "to prepare". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | faz | ||
| In Brazilian Portuguese, 'faz' can also mean 'makes' or 'creates', while in European Portuguese it can carry the additional meaning of 'is' or 'exists'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dèan | ||
| In older Scots Gaelic, the word "dèan" could also mean "thing" or "creature." | |||
| Spanish | hacer | ||
| Hacer, from Latin facere, also means 'occur', 'happen', and 'be' in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | do | ||
| Swedish 'do' can refer to the male deer or a musical note. | |||
| Welsh | wneud | ||
| The Welsh word 'wneud' derives from a Proto-Celtic root meaning 'to work', and also relates to the Irish term 'gníomh' (action). | |||
Do in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рабіць | ||
| In addition to its common meaning of "do", "рабіць" can also mean "work" or "make" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | učiniti | ||
| The verb "učiniti" can also mean "to make" or "to create", as in the phrase "učiniti nešto" (to make something). | |||
| Bulgarian | направете | ||
| In Old Bulgarian, "napravite" also meant to "fix" something, as "to do" a car, or a "to do" a dress. | |||
| Czech | dělat | ||
| The Czech word "dělat" can also mean "to play" or "to make". | |||
| Estonian | tegema | ||
| The word "tegema" in Estonian is derived from the Proto-Finno-Ugric root *tek-, meaning "to make, to do". | |||
| Finnish | tehdä | ||
| The Proto-Finnic *teke- derives from an Uralic verb meaning 'to hit' or 'to strike with a pointed object'. | |||
| Hungarian | csináld | ||
| In colloquial Hungarian, "csináld" can also refer to a playful way of demanding attention by a small child. | |||
| Latvian | darīt | ||
| Latvian "darīt" derives from the Proto-Indo-European base *dher- meaning 'hold' or 'support', cognate with Sanskrit "dhara"- and Greek "ther"-. | |||
| Lithuanian | padaryti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "padaryti" is also used to mean "to work" or "to produce something, "suggesting the idea of effort and accomplishment. | |||
| Macedonian | направи | ||
| The Macedonian word "направи" also means "to repair" or "to make". | |||
| Polish | zrobić | ||
| The word 'zrobić' can also mean 'to make' or 'to create' in Polish, similar to its usage in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Romanian | do | ||
| The Romanian word "a face" can also mean "to make" or "to create." | |||
| Russian | делать | ||
| The verb "делать" can also mean "make" or "create". | |||
| Serbian | урадите | ||
| The word "урадите" can also be used to express "create" or "accomplish". | |||
| Slovak | robiť | ||
| "robiť" can mean "to make" or "to work" | |||
| Slovenian | naredi | ||
| The word "naredi" also means "prepare" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | робити | ||
| The word "робити" can also mean "to work" or "to make" in Ukrainian. | |||
Do in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কর | ||
| The word "কর" (do) in Bengali has many other meanings and uses, including but not limited to: doing, making, forming, preparing, constructing, producing, causing, and acting. | |||
| Gujarati | કરવું | ||
| The word "કરવું" in Gujarati can also mean "to make" or "to cause". | |||
| Hindi | करना | ||
| The Hindi verb 'करना' derives from the Sanskrit root '√kṛ' meaning 'to make, achieve, or perform'. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಾಡಿ | ||
| 'ಮಾಡಿ' ('do') derives from the Sanskrit word 'kṛti', meaning 'to make or create', and also refers to a chapter or section in some texts. | |||
| Malayalam | ചെയ്യുക | ||
| The Malayalam verb 'ചെയ്യുക' (cey yuka) shares its root with the Sanskrit word 'कर' (kara), also meaning 'to do', and is cognate with the English word 'work'. | |||
| Marathi | करा | ||
| The Marathi word "करा" or "करणे" can also refer to creation, execution, or accomplishment, among other meanings. | |||
| Nepali | गर्नुहोस् | ||
| The Nepali word 'गर्नुहोस्' is a polite form of the imperative mood and is used to request or command an action. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਰੋ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਕਰੋ" can also mean "tax" or "duty". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කරන්න | ||
| In Sinhala, the verb 'කරන්න' can also mean 'to act' or 'to make' something happen. | |||
| Tamil | செய் | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "do," "செய்" (sey) in Tamil also refers to "make," "perform," "create," and "serve." | |||
| Telugu | చేయండి | ||
| The verb 'చేయండి' also means 'make' or 'cause to happen', and is derived from the Proto-Dravidian verb *key-. | |||
| Urdu | کیا | ||
| In Urdu, "کیا" also means "what" or "if" when used as an interrogative. | |||
Do in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 做 | ||
| The word "做" in Chinese is often used as a synonym for "make", but it can also be used to mean "be" or to create something. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 做 | ||
| The word "做" can also mean "to make" or "to become". | |||
| Japanese | 行う | ||
| The word "行う" also means "to perform" or "to carry out" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 하다 | ||
| 하다 originated from Chinese meaning 'difficult,''to oppose,''to hate,'' and took on the additional meanings of 'necessary' and 'must' during Middle Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | хийх | ||
| The word "хийх" can also mean "to create" or "to make." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လုပ်တယ် | ||
Do in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | melakukan | ||
| The word "melakukan" can also mean "to perform" or "to carry out". | |||
| Javanese | nindakake | ||
| Nindakake in Javanese can also mean 'to happen' or 'to occur'. | |||
| Khmer | ធ្វើ | ||
| In addition to meaning “do," “ធ្វើ" can also mean "make" and "perform." | |||
| Lao | ເຮັດ | ||
| The Lao word “ເຮັດ” can also mean “to make”, “to construct”, “to produce”, “to perform”, or “to serve”. | |||
| Malay | buat | ||
| "Buat" in Malay can also mean "to prepare", "to make", "to create", "to design", | |||
| Thai | ทำ | ||
| The Thai word "ทำ" can also refer to producing or causing something to happen, acting on something or dealing with a situation. | |||
| Vietnamese | làm | ||
| The word "làm" can also mean "to work", "to make", or "to build". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gawin | ||
Do in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | et | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "et" is also used in the plural form "edin" which means "did". | |||
| Kazakh | жаса | ||
| The Kazakh word "жаса" also means "to create" or "to produce". | |||
| Kyrgyz | эмне | ||
| The word "эмне" (do) in Kyrgyz also means "to act" and "to behave." | |||
| Tajik | кардан | ||
| The word "кардан" can also refer to a propeller shaft or a universal joint, both of which are mechanical devices that transmit torque and allow for angular misalignment. | |||
| Turkmen | et | ||
| Uzbek | qil | ||
| The Uzbek word "qil" is possibly unrelated to the word "qil" in its neighbouring Turkic languages, which means "to make" and stems from the Proto-Turkic word "qïl". | |||
| Uyghur | قىل | ||
Do in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hana | ||
| From the Proto-Austronesian root *qana, also meaning "to work". | |||
| Maori | mahi | ||
| The word "mahi" in Māori also refers to work or employment. | |||
| Samoan | fai | ||
| The word "fai" can also mean "to be" or "to become" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gawin | ||
| "Gawin" can also mean to create, make, construct, build, design, or produce. | |||
Do in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | luraña | ||
| Guarani | japo | ||
Do in International Languages
| Esperanto | faru | ||
| In Esperanto, "faru" can also mean "to make" or "to create". | |||
| Latin | facite | ||
| In classical Latin, "facite" could also mean "cause to be done" or "have done". | |||
Do in Others Languages
| Greek | κάνω | ||
| The word "κάνω" also means "make" or "produce" in English, and it is cognate with the Latin word "facio" and the Sanskrit word "karomi." | |||
| Hmong | ua | ||
| In some Hmong dialects, "ua" can mean "make" or "perform an action." | |||
| Kurdish | bikin | ||
| The Kurdish word "bikin" can also refer to "making" or "creating" something, as well as to "performing" an action. | |||
| Turkish | yapmak | ||
| In Turkish, "yapmak" literally means "to connect" or "to join" and implies an action which has a lasting effect. | |||
| Xhosa | yenza | ||
| The word 'yenza' in Xhosa can also mean 'make' or 'create'. | |||
| Yiddish | טאָן | ||
| The word 'טאָן' also refers to 'the sound made by a musical instrument or voice' and 'a style or manner' in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | yenza | ||
| The word 'yenza' in Zulu also has the meanings of 'shape', 'form', and 'make'. | |||
| Assamese | কৰক | ||
| Aymara | luraña | ||
| Bhojpuri | करीं | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުރަން | ||
| Dogri | करो | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gawin | ||
| Guarani | japo | ||
| Ilocano | aramiden | ||
| Krio | du | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کردن | ||
| Maithili | करू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯧꯁꯤ | ||
| Mizo | ti | ||
| Oromo | hojjedhu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କର | ||
| Quechua | ruway | ||
| Sanskrit | करोतु | ||
| Tatar | эшлә | ||
| Tigrinya | ግበር | ||
| Tsonga | endla | ||