Definition and meaning of English word "do"
do
/duː/
Meaning
VerbA syntactic marker. A syntactic marker in a question whose main verb is not another auxiliary verb or be.
How to use
The verb 'do' is a versatile syntactic marker used to form questions, especially when the main verb is not another auxiliary verb or 'be'. It is commonly used in everyday conversation, but can also be found in formal writing. A common learner mistake is to use 'do' as a main verb, rather than a syntactic marker.
🇬🇧 English
do
Example
I do my homework
What do you do
Your personal vocabulary
🦊 Use this word in a live AI conversationSynonyms
Common phrases
- do one's best— to try as hard as possible
- do nothing— to not do anything
- do something about it— to take action or make a decision
- do well in a subject— to perform well in a subject
- do without something— to not have or use something
This concept in other languages
Frequency rank: #33 in English
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the English word "do" mean?▼
The English word "do" means "do" in English.
How do you pronounce the English word "do"?▼
You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "do" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.
Can I see an example sentence with "do"?▼
Yes, here is a practical example: "used for actions" (which translates as "do").
More Core Verbs words
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