do

A1 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled Howjer, didn, doan, doesn, doin, dunno, and d’yer

US /də/ UK /dəʊ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like the /ð/ vs /d/

Freq #22

Meanings

1

verb
To carry out or perform an action or task.

If you want something done, do it yourself.
2

verb
Used as a helper word to form questions and negatives.

Do you go there often?
3

verb
To manage, get along, or make progress.

How are the new staff doing in their jobs?
4

verb
To be enough or acceptable for a purpose.

We don't have much, but this will have to do.
5

verb
To travel a particular distance or reach a particular speed.

This car can do 150 miles per hour.

Verb forms

do, did, done irregular verb

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to carry out or perform an... accomplishcarry out

3 verb · to manage, get along, or... manage

Opposites

don't

Word family

Derived forms bedocan-docan-do-nessdo-acracydo-alldo-badderdo-funnydo-gooderdo-gooderismdo-gooderydo-goodingdo-goodism

Related forms dasdasclldphdscd

Appears in

Phrases (8)

See all

do a dance
perform a dance

Verb + noun
do a jump
perform a jump, typically as sport or display

Verb + noun
do a favor
perform a helpful service for someone

Verb + noun
do business
to engage in commercial activity or trade with someone

Verb + noun
do magic
to perform magic tricks or illusions

Verb + noun
do some walking
engage in walking, especially for fitness or leisure

Verb + noun

Idioms (9)

See all

do the job
to be good enough to achieve the desired result
do the trick
to achieve the desired result or solve a problem
do your own thing
follow your own preferences rather than conforming to what others do
easier said than done
Something that sounds simple to do but is actually hard.
money doesn't grow on trees
Used to remind someone that money is limited and hard to earn.
don't put all your eggs in one basket
Don't risk everything on a single plan or possibility.

Proverbs (1)

See all

when in rome, do as the romans do
Follow the local customs when you are in an unfamiliar place.

Tongue twisters (5)

See all

Billy Button
Billy Button bought a buttered biscuit. Did Billy Button buy a buttered biscuit? If Billy Button bought a buttered biscuit, Where's the buttered biscuit Billy Button bought?

Keep the repeated /b/ clear without adding a vowel before it. Bought and buy change between lines, so follow the wording as well as the r...
Dew Drops
As much of the dew that the dew drops drop, if dew drops do drop dew.

Keep the /dɹ/ cluster in drops and drop connected. Dew may begin with /d/ or /dj/, depending on your accent; use the form natural to you.
Peter Piper
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers? If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Close both lips for each /p/, and keep the end of picked distinct from pick. Start one line at a time before joining the four lines.
Walter Waddle
Walter Waddle won a walking wager. Did Walter Waddle win a walking wager? If Walter Waddle won a walking wager, Where's the walking wager Walter Waddle won?

Round the lips briefly for /w/, then move into each vowel. Notice the change from won to win in the question.
Windmills and the Millwheel
To the windmills said the millwheel: “As the wind wills do you still wheel?” “Yes, we still wheel when the wind wills!” To the millwheel said the windmills.

Wind here means moving air and rhymes with pinned. Contrast the vowel in will with the longer vowel in wheel, keeping the final /l/ in both.

Simplified etymology

Do comes from an ancient root meaning “to put in place,” the same root that produced doom.

Etymology

From Middle English don, from Old English dōn, from Proto-West Germanic *dōn, from Proto-Germanic *dōną, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, do, make”). For senses 4 and 5, compare Old Norse duga, also Northern English dow. The past tense form is from Middle English didde, dude, from Old English dyde, *diede, an unexpected development from Proto-Germanic *dedǭ/*dedē (the expected reflex would be *ded), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰédʰeh₁ti, an athematic e-reduplicated verb of the same root *dʰeh₁-. The meaningless use of do in interrogative, negative, and affirmative sentences (e.…

*dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European don Old English *dōn Proto-West Germanic *dōną Proto-Germanic didde Middle English dyde Old English *dedǭ Proto-Germanic *dʰédʰeh₁ti Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# do

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /də/
**IPA (UK):** /dəʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 22

## Meanings
1. To carry out or perform an action or task.
2. Used as a helper word to form questions and negatives.
3. To manage, get along, or make progress.
4. To be enough or acceptable for a purpose.
5. To travel a particular distance or reach a particular speed.

## Examples
- If you want something done, do it yourself.
- Do you go there often?
- How are the new staff doing in their jobs?
- We don't have much, but this will have to do.
- This car can do 150 miles per hour.

## Antonyms
- don't

## Derived Forms
- bedo
- can-do
- can-do-ness
- do-acracy
- do-all
- do-badder
- do-funny
- do-gooder
- do-gooderism
- do-goodery
- do-gooding
- do-goodism

## Related Forms
- das
- dasc
- lld
- phd
- scd

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *dʰeh₁-
- Root: don
- Root: *dōn
- Root: *dōną
- Root: didde
- Root: dyde
- Root: *dedǭ
- Root: *dʰédʰeh₁ti

## Etymology
From Middle English don, from Old English dōn, from Proto-West Germanic *dōn, from Proto-Germanic *dōną, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, do, make”). For senses 4 and 5, compare Old Norse duga, also Northern English dow. The past tense form is from Middle English didde, dude, from Old English dyde, *diede, an unexpected development from Proto-Germanic *dedǭ/*dedē (the expected reflex would be *ded), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰédʰeh₁ti, an athematic e-reduplicated verb of the same root *dʰeh₁-. The meaningless use of do in interrogative, negative, and affirmative sentences (e.…

## AI Etymology
Do comes from Middle English don, from Old English dōn, from Proto-West Germanic *dōn, from Proto-Germanic *dōną, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, do, make”). For senses 4 and 5, compare Old Norse duga, also Northern English dow. The past tense form is from Middle English didde, dude, from Old English dyde, *diede, an unexpected development from Proto-Germanic *dedǭ/*dedē (the expected reflex would be *ded), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰédʰeh₁ti, an athematic e-reduplicated verb of the same root *dʰeh₁-.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown

do

Meanings

Verb forms

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (8)

Idioms (9)

Proverbs (1)

Tongue twisters (5)

Simplified etymology

Etymology

Topics

External links

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