搞 gǎo to do
to do; to fix; to make; to settle
How to remember 搞: 扌 hand + 高 high = to do. With a wrench in his hand, Dad climbs high up the ladder, sure he knows how to do the light.
Component breakdown
搞 = 扌 hand + 高 high
- 扌 hand
- 高 high
With a wrench in his hand, Dad climbs high up the ladder, sure he knows how to do the light.
How it is used
- Extremely versatile colloquial verb that can substitute for almost any specific action, like English "do": 你在搞什么 "what are you doing."
- 搞定 gǎodìng "sorted, taken care of" and 搞笑 gǎoxiào "funny, to clown around" are everyday spoken staples.
- Casual/spoken register only - swap in 做, 办, or 处理 in formal writing.
- Context, not the character itself, tells you exactly what action 搞 refers to.