machen
to do
To carry out an activity or perform an action. It is a very general verb for many kinds of activities.
EXAMPLE
Was machst du am Wochenende?
What are you doing on the weekend?
machen
to do / make
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Meanings
machen
to make
To produce, prepare, or create something.
EXAMPLE
Meine Oma macht die beste Marmelade.
My grandma makes the best jam.
machen
to make
To cause someone or something to enter a certain state or have a certain feeling.
EXAMPLE
Der Lärm macht mich ganz nervös.
The noise makes me really nervous.
machen
to clean / tidy
To clean, tidy up, or put something in order.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss noch schnell das Bad machen, bevor die Gäste kommen.
I still have to quickly clean the bathroom before the guests arrive.
machen
to make / come to
In mathematics or with amounts of money, “to equal” or “to amount to.”
EXAMPLE
Fünf mal fünf macht fünfundzwanzig.
Five times five makes twenty-five.
sich Sorgen machen
to worry
To be worried or anxious about someone or something.
EXAMPLE
Mach dir keine Sorgen, es wird alles gut werden.
Don't worry, everything will be fine.
sich auf den Weg machen
to set off
To leave or begin a journey.
EXAMPLE
Wir sollten uns langsam auf den Weg machen, sonst verpassen wir den Zug.
We should slowly set off, otherwise we'll miss the train.
das macht nichts
it doesn't matter
A colloquial expression used to say that something is not a problem or is not bad.
EXAMPLE
„Oh, Entschuldigung!“ – „Schon gut, das macht nichts.“
“Oh, sorry!” — “It's all right, it doesn't matter.”
sich machen
to develop
To develop or show progress, often in a positive way.
EXAMPLE
Der neue Mitarbeiter macht sich in seinem Job wirklich gut.
The new employee is really developing well in his job.
Usage tips
Typical collocations
For general activities, 'machen' (to do) is often combined with a noun. Common combinations are: Hausaufgaben machen (to do homework), eine Pause machen (to take a break), Sport machen (to do sports/exercise), einen Ausflug machen (to take a trip).
EXAMPLE
Lass uns am Nachmittag eine Pause machen.
Let's take a break in the afternoon.
Typical collocations
In the meaning of “to produce” or “to prepare,” 'machen' (to make) is often used for everyday things. Typical combinations are: das Essen machen (to make the food/meal), Kaffee machen (to make coffee), ein Foto machen (to take a photo), ein Feuer machen (to make a fire).
EXAMPLE
Wer macht heute das Abendessen?
Who is making dinner today?
Sentence pattern
To express that something causes a feeling or state, the structure 'etwas macht jemanden + Adjektiv' (something makes someone + adjective) is used. The person is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Diese Musik macht mich immer glücklich.
This music always makes me happy.
Register and style
The use of 'machen' (to do/make) in the sense of “to tidy up” or “to clean” (e.g., 'das Zimmer machen' — to clean/tidy the room) is very colloquial. In written language, you would more likely use 'sauber machen' (to clean) or 'aufräumen' (to tidy up).
EXAMPLE
Kannst du bitte schnell dein Zimmer machen?
Can you please quickly tidy your room?
Colloquial use
In the sense of “to amount to,” 'machen' (to make) is mainly used in spoken language for simple calculations or when paying. It sounds informal.
EXAMPLE
Zwei Kaffee und ein Stück Kuchen, das macht zusammen 8,50 Euro.
Two coffees and a piece of cake, that comes to 8.50 euros altogether.
Sentence structure with preposition
The expression 'sich Sorgen machen' (to worry) is reflexive and is used with the preposition 'um' and the accusative to say what you are worried about.
EXAMPLE
Ich mache mir Sorgen um meine kranke Großmutter.
I'm worried about my sick grandmother.
Fixed expression
'Sich auf den Weg machen' (to set off) is a fixed reflexive expression and means “to leave” or “to start.” It is often used to describe the beginning of a movement or journey.
EXAMPLE
Es wird dunkel, wir sollten uns auf den Weg nach Hause machen.
It's getting dark; we should set off for home.
Fixed expression
'Das macht nichts' (It doesn't matter) is a fixed, very common response to an apology. It signals that the situation is not a problem.
EXAMPLE
„Oh, ich habe dein Glas umgestoßen!“ – „Kein Problem, das macht nichts.“
“Oh, I knocked over your glass!” — “No problem, it doesn't matter.”
Reflexive use
The reflexive verb 'sich machen' (to develop) describes development or progress, often in a professional or personal context. It is usually accompanied by an adverb such as 'gut' (well) or 'schlecht' (badly).
EXAMPLE
Unser Sohn hat sich in der neuen Schule gut gemacht.
Our son has done well at the new school.
Compare with
tunspielenarbeitenstellenbringenschaffenhandelnleistenbetragenherstellentreibenerledigenvornehmenbereitenablegen
machen vs tun
to do
Machen and tun can both refer to a general action. Machen is very often used with a specifically named activity, while tun is especially common for a general action or in fixed expressions. When you name the specific activity, machen is usually the right choice; when it remains unspecified, tun is often more natural.
machen
Nach dem Essen mache ich den Abwasch.
After dinner, I do the dishes.
tun
Gegen den Lärm muss ich etwas tun.
I have to do something about the noise.
In real life
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