Make or do? Two English verbs for “yapmak”

The Turkish verb “yapmak” splits into two verbs in English: “make” is usually about producing something new (“make a cake”, “make a plan”), while “do” is about carrying out a job, task, or activity (“do homework”, “do the dishes”). The rule explains many phrases but not all, so learning the common combinations in groups is the easiest way.

Common phrases with make

Food and drink: make breakfast, make coffee. Speaking and sounds: make a phone call, make a noise, make a mistake, make a joke. Decisions and plans: make a decision, make a plan, make an appointment. Others: make friends, make money, make progress, make the bed.

Common phrases with do

Housework: do the dishes, do the laundry, do the shopping. Study and work: do homework, do an exam, do a course, do business. General activities: do exercise, do sport, do your best, do someone a favour. “Do” is also used for unspecified actions: “What are you doing?”, “I didn't do anything.”

Common mistakes for Turkish speakers

The most common mistakes come from phrases that all use “yapmak” in Turkish: not “do a mistake” but “make a mistake”, not “make homework” but “do homework”, not “make sport” but “do sport”. Writing down uncertain phrases together with their verb, not as single words, reduces these mistakes.

A short exercise

Make two columns: “make” and “do”. Write everything you did yesterday as a phrase in the right column (“I made breakfast.”, “I did the shopping.”). Then check the ones you weren't sure about against the lists in this post and add them to your vocabulary notebook.

To keep going, see Everyday English phrasal verbs and How to keep an English vocabulary notebook.

Frequently asked questions

“Make a photo” or “take a photo”? In English you “take” a photo: “Can you take a photo of us?”

Is “make” also used for making someone do something? Yes: “My teacher made me rewrite the essay.” Here “make” is followed by the base form of the verb.