Make vs Do — Two Verbs Where Spanish Has One
Spanish 'hacer' = both 'make' and 'do', but English distinguishes them
Category: Vocabulary
The Rule
'Make' = create/produce something (make a cake, make a decision, make money). 'Do' = perform an activity (do homework, do exercise, do business). Many are fixed collocations that must be memorized.
Why This Matters
Spanish 'hacer' covers both: hacer una torta (make a cake) AND hacer ejercicio (do exercise). English splits these into 'make' and 'do' with no consistent rule. Spanish speakers randomly choose between them or default to 'make' for everything.
Examples
• She made a cake. — "Ella hizo una torta." [make = create a product] • I do my homework every night. — "Hago mi tarea cada noche." [do = perform a task/activity] • He made a decision. — "Él tomó una decisión." ['Make a decision' — fixed collocation]
Common Mistakes
❌ I make my homework. ✅ I do my homework. → Homework is a task/activity = 'do'. You don't create homework, you complete it. ❌ She does a lot of money. ✅ She makes a lot of money. → Money is created/earned = 'make'. 'Do money' doesn't exist in English.
Quick Tip
MAKE: things you create (make food, make a plan, make friends, make noise, make money). DO: tasks you perform (do work, do exercise, do the dishes, do a favor).
MAKE: things you create (make food, make a plan, make friends, make noise, make money). DO: tasks you perform (do work, do exercise, do the dishes, do a favor).
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: I make my homework. → Correct: I do my homework.. Homework is a task/activity = 'do'. You don't create homework, you complete it.
Incorrect: She does a lot of money. → Correct: She makes a lot of money.. Money is created/earned = 'make'. 'Do money' doesn't exist in English.
Quiz
Which is correct?