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HSK 4

弄

to do; to handle; to make; to mess with

verbspoken
弄
nòng4th tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
nòng
Part of speech
verb
Level
HSK 4
Strokes
7
Register
spoken

Stroke order for 弄

弄 is written with 7 strokes. The animation replays automatically.

What does 弄 mean?

弄 (nòng) is an all-purpose spoken verb meaning 'to do,' 'to handle,' 'to make,' or 'to mess with' something — the Chinese equivalent of English's vague 'do' or 'fix' in sentences like 'let me do it' or 'what did you do to this?'

It is one of the most flexible verbs in casual speech, standing in for a more specific action the speaker either doesn't need to name or can't be bothered to. 弄 frequently combines with a result complement: 弄坏 (break it), 弄丢 (lose it), 弄错 (get it wrong), 弄好 (fix/finish it), 弄清楚 (figure it out). Two cautions for learners: this character is also read lòng, a completely different word meaning 'lane/alley' (as in 弄堂), and 弄 carries a faint tone of clumsiness or interference — 弄坏 implies you broke it, often by mishandling.

Note: Very colloquial and general-purpose. In formal writing a speaker would pick a specific verb (修理, 处理, 制作) instead of the catch-all 弄.

Example sentences

我把手机弄丢了。

Wǒ bǎ shǒujī nòng diū le.

I lost my phone.

spoken

别弄坏了，这是新的。

Bié nòng huài le, zhè shì xīn de.

Don't break it, this is new.

spoken

这件事我们得弄清楚。

Zhè jiàn shì wǒmen děi nòng qīngchu.

We need to figure this matter out clearly.

neutral

你在弄什么呢？

Nǐ zài nòng shénme ne?

What are you fiddling with?

spoken

Common phrases with 弄

弄坏nòng huàito break (through mishandling)
弄错nòng cuòto get wrong; to mix up
弄丢nòng diūto lose (an object)
弄清楚nòng qīngchuto figure out; to clarify
弄饭nòng fànto make a meal (casual)

Synonyms

搞gǎo

搞 is an even more slangy catch-all verb, common in the south and in casual/internet speech. 弄 is a touch more neutral; 搞 can sound rougher or edgier depending on context.

做zuò

做 means 'to do/make' with a clearer, more concrete object and works in writing. 弄 is looser and spoken-only, often implying fiddling or handling rather than deliberate making.

Don't confuse 弄 with

弄lòng

The same character read lòng means 'lane/alley' (弄堂 lòngtáng, a Shanghai-style alley). The HSK verb sense is nòng ('to do/handle'). Same glyph, two unrelated words.

拿ná

拿 means specifically 'to take/hold with the hand.' 弄 is vaguer — 'do something to/with' — and doesn't necessarily involve picking anything up.

FAQ

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