German · Everyday Verbs
"to do / to make" in German: machen
machen
Note: also: tun
To do in German is often machen. You say Ich mache das and Was machst du?. Tun also means to do, but machen covers most everyday tasks and activities.
Housework
Ich mache heute die Küche sauber.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce machen
Say it
MAH-khen
/ˈmaxn̩/
MAH-khen. The ch after a is the soft ach-sound, like a gentle scrape at the back of the throat.
"to do / to make" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| machen | to do / to make Default verb for doing and making. | Default verb for doing and making. |
| ich mache / du machst / er macht | I/you/he do(es) Core present forms. | Core present forms. |
| Was machst du? | What are you doing? Casual check-in with du. | Casual check-in with du. |
| tun | to do Also exists; often in fixed phrases like wehtun. | Also exists; often in fixed phrases like wehtun. |
How to use machen in real life
- 1Housework
Ich mache heute die Küche sauber.
I'm cleaning the kitchen today.
Machen + object for many chores.
- 2Phone chat
Was machst du am Wochenende?
What are you doing on the weekend?
Classic open question with machst.
- 3Team plan
Wer macht die Präsentation?
Who's doing the presentation?
Macht is the er/sie/es or who form here.
Mistakes English speakers make with machen
Incorrect: Ich tun meine Hausaufgaben.
Correct: Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben.
Homework usually takes machen, not tun.
Incorrect: Ich mache Sport gehen.
Correct: Ich mache Sport. / Ich gehe zum Sport.
Don't stack machen with gehen. Pick one pattern.
Good to know
Was machst du? is both "what are you doing right now?" and a light "how's life?" among friends. In shops, Machen Sie das bitte can mean "please do that" without sounding bossy if your tone is polite.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Splitting tasks before guests arrive
ChatPal
Was machst du, und was mache ich?
What are you doing, and what am I doing?
You
Ich mache den Tisch. Du kannst trinken einkaufen.
I'll do the table. You can buy drinks.
ChatPal
Okay. Mache ich auch noch Musik an?
Okay. Shall I also put music on?
You
Ja, mach das. Das hilft echt.
Yes, do that. That really helps.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to do / to make" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to do / to make" in German
Is machen or tun the main to do?
Machen is the everyday default for tasks. Tun appears in some fixed phrases.
How do you conjugate machen?
Ich mache, du machst, er/sie/es macht, wir machen, ihr macht, sie machen.
What does Was machst du mean?
What are you doing? or a casual how-are-things check.
How do you say do homework?
Hausaufgaben machen.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
