do

The word “do” means to perform or carry out an action or task. In plain terms, one of the most common verbs in English — used both as a main verb meaning "perform" and as a helper verb in questions, negatives, and emphasis.

“Do” is pronounced duh (/də/ in IPA).

Here is “do” used in a sentence: “I need to do my homework before dinner.”

The opposite of “do” — its antonyms — is don't.

Depending on how it is used, “do” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “do” comes from Old English. From Old English dōn, a very old Germanic verb going back to a root meaning "to put" or "to place.".

“Do” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Do” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to perform or carry out an action or task.

"Do" is generally used for actions, tasks, and duties ("do homework," "do the dishes"), while "make" is used for creating or producing something ("make dinner," "make a plan"). Many pairings are fixed collocations — you "make a decision" and "do your best" — so they are learned pattern by pattern.

"Do" builds questions and negatives for most verbs: "Do you agree?", "She doesn't drive." It also adds emphasis in positive statements, as in "I do like it," and stands in for a verb already mentioned: "She runs faster than I do".

"Does" is the third-person singular present form, used with "he," "she," "it," or a singular noun: "He does the cooking." All other subjects take "do": "I do," "you do," "they do".

The past tense is "did" ("I did the work yesterday") and the past participle is "done," which needs a helping verb: "I have done the work." Using "done" alone as a past tense — "I done it" — is nonstandard.