Two German verbs — machen and tun — both translate to “to do” or “to make” in English. But they aren’t interchangeable. This article explains the differences in meaning, usage, and grammatical roles between machen and tun.
Origins
machen comes from Old High German mahhōn, meaning “to make” or “to do.”
tun is even older, from Proto-Germanic tōn, meaning “to do” or “to put.” It is related to the English verb “to do.”
Basic Meanings
- machen: to make, to create, to produce, to do (a task). Used for creating or causing something, or simply carrying out an activity.
- tun: to do, to perform, to put. More general and abstract, often found in fixed expressions or when referring to actions without specifying what is made.
Usage Differences
machen
- Used for creating or producing something (e.g., einen Kuchen machen — to make a cake).
- Used for carrying out tasks or activities (e.g., Hausaufgaben machen — to do homework).
- Common in everyday speech and can be combined with many nouns to form verb phrases.
Example:
Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben. — I do my homework.
Ich ___ einen Termin.
mache
The fixed phrase is *einen Termin machen* (make an appointment), so **machen** is correct.
tun
- More formal or literary; less common in everyday conversation outside of fixed phrases.
- Often used when the action is vague or unspecified (e.g., Was soll ich tun? — What should I do?).
- Appears in set expressions and idioms (e.g., Ich tue so, als ob ... — I pretend as if ...).
- Can imply effort or necessity in some contexts.
Example:
Was tun wir jetzt? — What shall we do now?
Grammar Note
- machen is a regular verb: ich mache, ich machte, ich habe gemacht.
- tun is irregular: ich tue, ich tat, ich habe getan.
Common Collocations
| machen + noun | tun + noun/phrase (fixed expressions) |
|---|---|
| einen Fehler machen (make a mistake) | etwas Gutes tun (do something good) |
| Spaß machen (be fun) | jemandem weh tun (hurt someone) |
| einen Termin machen (make an appointment) | tun, was man kann (do what one can) |
| Lärm machen (make noise) | tun und lassen, was man will (do as one pleases) |
Summary
- Use machen when talking about creating, producing, or doing specific tasks.
- Use tun for more abstract “doing,” especially in formal, literary contexts or fixed expressions.
- If unsure, machen is usually the safer choice in everyday conversation.
Can machen and tun generally be used interchangeably in German?
No, they have distinct usage contexts
**machen** and **tun** are not interchangeable. **machen** is for creating/doing tasks, while **tun** is for abstract or idiomatic usage.
Example Paragraph
Wenn ich müde bin, mache ich eine Pause. Aber manchmal weiß ich nicht, was ich tun soll. Dann frage ich meine Freundin: “Was soll ich tun?”*
When I’m tired, I take a break. But sometimes I don’t know what to do. Then I ask my friend: “What should I do?”
tun is an irregular verb. What is the correct simple past form?
ich tat
**tun** conjugates irregularly as *ich tat* in the simple past. *ich getan* is incorrect because *getan* is a past participle, not a past tense form.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
