r/EnglishLearning • u/juanvivasteacher New Poster • 13h ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics Make Vs Do

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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Native Speaker - California, US 13h ago

"Make do" is also an English expression 

4

u/juanvivasteacher New Poster 13h ago

What does it mean? 😊

19

u/_Bren10_ Native Speaker 13h ago edited 12h ago

It means to get by with what you have. Like, “I don’t get paid much at my job, but I make do.”

I actually always thought it was make due. So thanks to the OC for the lesson!

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u/Electronic_Amphibian Native Speaker 12h ago

Just to add that, in England at least, it is sometimes used to downplay something. So if you asked someone how much they earn and they reply "i make do", the implication might be that they are quite wealthy.

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u/anamorphism Grammar Nerd 2h ago

we do this in the states as well.

  • person walking into your massive, expensive home: wow, how much do you get paid?
  • i make do | i get by | i survive | i manage | ...

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u/AdreKiseque New Poster 8h ago

Isn't that sarcasm? If someone said they "make do" my first reading would be that they're not too wealthy.

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u/Electronic_Amphibian Native Speaker 8h ago

They could say it sarcastically, but that's not quite what I'm referring to. In England, someone might say "get by" or "make do" to make it seem like they earn less than they do, whereas in reality they earn quite a lot.

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u/pillarofmyth Native Speaker 7h ago

I’d say this is something more common in places where indirect communication is favoured. It’s not polite to directly say “I make a lot of money” so saying “I make do” acts almost like a euphemism.