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verb

tun

do

Etwas machen oder ausführen, zum Beispiel eine Aufgabe erledigen oder eine Handlung ausführen.

Definition & meaning

The verb tun is one of the most fundamental and versatile verbs in the German language. Depending on the context, it has several core meanings:

  1. To do / To perform: It describes the execution of an action or task. For example: "Was tust du gerade?" (What are you doing right now?).
  2. To put / To place: In colloquial and regional German, it is often used to describe placing something somewhere. For example: "Tu das Buch in die Tasche" (Put the book in the bag).
  3. To cause / To have an effect: It can describe causing a physical sensation or a state. For example: "Das tut weh" (That hurts/causes pain).
  4. Auxiliary use: In certain dialects and informal spoken German, it is used as an auxiliary verb to form a periphrastic construction (e.g., "Ich tu essen" instead of "Ich esse"). While common in speech, this is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard written German.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar:

  • Type: Irregular verb (Strong verb).
  • Conjugation:
    • Present: ich tue, du tust, er/sie/es tut, wir tun, ihr tut, sie tun.
    • Past (Präteritum): tat.
    • Perfect: hat getan.
  • The verb is highly irregular in its stem changes compared to other German verbs.

Word origin:

  • The word originates from the Old High German tuon, which traces back to the Proto-Germanic dōną. It is a cognate of the English word "do".

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • handeln (to act/take action)
  • machen (to make/do)
  • ausführen (to execute/carry out)
  • platzieren (to place - specifically regarding the "put" meaning)

Antonyms:

  • unterlassen (to omit/refrain from doing)
  • lassen (to leave/let be)

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Examples

Was tun wir jetzt?verb

What do we do now?

Was tust du?verb

What are you doing?

Wir tun alles für dich.verb

We do everything for you.

Er kann das selbst tun.verb

He can do that himself.

Er muss noch viel tun.verb

He still has a lot to do.

Er muss es sofort tun.verb

He must do it immediately.

Menschen können heute nichts tun.verb

People can do nothing today.

Menschen können so viel tun.verb

People can do so much.

Du kannst heute nichts tun.verb

You can do nothing today.

Wir können das zusammen tun.verb

We can do that together.

Man kann viel Gutes tun.verb

One can do a lot of good.

Menschen tun manchmal etwas Neues.verb

People sometimes do something new.

Was tust du heute Abend?verb

What are you doing tonight?

Ich habe gestern nichts getan.verb

I did nothing yesterday.

Ich habe heute nichts getan.verb

I have done nothing today.

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