Do, Make, Take, Give: Translating Urdu Verbs Like karna, dena and lena
Urdu forms verbs from a noun plus karna, dena, lena or lagna. English picks a different verb for each noun. Learn the pairs and you fix a whole class of mistakes.
The pattern behind "do a mistake"
Urdu builds a huge number of verbs from a noun plus one of a few very common verbs: karna (do), dena (give), lena (take), aana (come), lagna (attach, feel), hona (be). So ghalti karna is literally "mistake do", imtihaan dena is "exam give", and neend aana is "sleep come". These are called light verb constructions, and every Urdu speaker uses hundreds of them without thinking.
English also builds phrases from a noun plus a common verb (make a mistake, take an exam, have a shower), but it picks a different verb for each noun, and the choice is not logical, it is a fixed pairing called a collocation. If you translate the Urdu verb word for word, you get sentences that are understandable but sound off: "I did a mistake", "I gave the exam", "I am feeling hunger".
The fix is not a rule but a habit: for every Urdu light verb you use in English, look up which English verb goes with that noun, and learn the pair as one unit.
karna ("do"): usually not "do" in English
| Urdu | Word for word (avoid) | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| ghalti karna | do a mistake | make a mistake |
| phone karna | do a phone / do a call | call someone / make a call |
| koshish karna | do an effort | make an effort / try |
| mehnat karna | do hard work | work hard / put in a lot of effort |
| intezaar karna | do waiting | wait (for someone) |
| madad karna | do help | help someone / give someone a hand |
| faisla karna | do a decision | make a decision (British English also says take a decision) |
| baat karna | do talk | talk to someone / have a conversation |
| party karna | do a party | throw / have / host a party |
| naukri karna | do job | have a job / work as a ... / work at ... |
| padhai karna | do study | study / do your homework |
| shukriya ada karna | do thanks | thank someone / give thanks |
Wrong"I am doing job in Lahore." / "Please do a request to your manager." / "Sorry, I did a mistake."
Correct"I have a job in Lahore." (or "I work in Lahore.") / "Please ask your manager." / "Sorry, I made a mistake."
WhyEnglish uses do for general or repeated activities and chores (do homework, do the dishes, do research, do exercise, do the shopping), and make for things you create or produce (make a plan, make a decision, make a mistake, make progress, make money).
dena ("give"): often "take", "throw" or "cast"
| Urdu | Word for word (avoid) | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| imtihaan dena | give an exam | take an exam (British also: sit an exam) |
| interview dena | give an interview | have an interview / go for an interview |
| vote dena | give a vote | cast a vote / vote for someone |
| awaaz dena | give voice | call out to someone |
| tension dena | give tension | stress someone out / worry someone |
| dhoka dena | give cheat | cheat on someone / betray someone |
Wrong"I gave my final exam yesterday." / "She gave an interview at a bank and got the job."
Correct"I took my final exam yesterday." / "She had an interview at a bank and got the job."
WhyIn English the teacher gives the exam and the student takes it. And "give an interview" means you are being interviewed by a journalist or broadcaster, so it sounds odd for a job interview: there the candidate has (or attends) an interview and the employer conducts it.
lena ("take"): sometimes fine, sometimes "have" or "get"
Many lena phrases map directly: photo lena is "take a photo", saans lena is "take a breath", dawai lena is "take medicine". The exceptions are worth knowing:
| Urdu | Word for word (avoid) | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| chai lena | take tea | have tea. "Would you like some tea?" (not "Will you take tea?") |
| interview lena (as the interviewer) | take an interview | conduct an interview / interview someone |
| naam lena | take a name | mention / say someone's name |
| salary lena | take salary | earn a salary / get paid |
lagna and aana: feelings that "attach to" or "come to" you
This is the biggest structural difference. In Urdu, you do not have a feeling; the feeling comes to you or attaches to you: mujhe bhook lag rahi hai is "to me hunger is attaching". English makes the feeling a state you are in, usually with an adjective.
| Urdu | Literal (avoid) | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| Mujhe bhook lag rahi hai. | Hunger is attaching to me. | I'm hungry. |
| Mujhe pyaas lagi hai. | Thirst has attached. | I'm thirsty. |
| Mujhe neend aa rahi hai. | Sleep is coming to me. | I'm sleepy / I feel sleepy. |
| Mujhe gussa aa raha hai. | Anger is coming to me. | I'm getting angry / I'm annoyed. |
| Mujhe hansi aa rahi hai. | Laughter is coming to me. | I feel like laughing / I can't stop laughing. |
| Mujhe dar lag raha hai. | Fear is attaching to me. | I'm scared / I'm afraid. |
| Mujhe sardi lag rahi hai. | Cold is attaching to me. | I'm cold / I feel cold. |
| Mera sar dard kar raha hai. | My head is paining. | I have a headache / My head hurts. |
| Mujhe bukhaar hai. | To me fever is. | I have a fever. |
Wrong"I am feeling hunger." / "Sleep is coming to me." / "My head is paining." / "I have fever."
Correct"I'm hungry." / "I'm sleepy." / "I have a headache." / "I have a fever."
WhyThese feelings are expressed with be + adjective or have + a + noun in English. "My head is paining" is a well-known South Asian English form, but it is not standard.
Collocation lists to learn as chunks
Since the pairings are arbitrary, keep these lists somewhere you will see them. The verb in bold is the one to learn with each noun.
- do: homework, housework, the dishes, the laundry, research, exercise, business, a favour, your best, damage, the shopping
- make: a mistake, a decision, a plan, an effort, progress, a call, a suggestion, money, friends, a promise, a difference, noise, an appointment, a complaint
- take: an exam, a photo, a break, a bath, a look, a chance, notes, medicine, time, care, part in something
- have: breakfast / lunch / dinner, a shower, a conversation, a party, a fever, a cold, fun, an idea, a meeting, an interview (as the candidate)
- give: a presentation, a lecture, advice, an answer, permission, someone a hand, a speech, someone a lift, a warning, feedback
- get: a job, married, better, ready, a reply, an idea (understand)
How to fix this in your own speech
- Notice the trigger. Whenever you are about to say "do", "give", "take" or "feel" plus a noun, and you have translated it from Urdu, pause and ask: is this the verb English uses?
- Check it. Type the phrase into a search engine in quotation marks ("make a mistake" versus "do a mistake") or use a collocation dictionary. The more common one is almost always the natural one.
- Save the whole phrase as a flashcard: "make a mistake", not just "make".
Practice: fix the sentence
- Sorry, I did a mistake in the report.
- I gave my chemistry test last week.
- Please do a call to the office.
- I am doing job at a software company.
- She did a big party for her birthday.
- Will you take some tea?
- I'm feeling hunger. Let's eat.
- My head is paining since morning.
- He will do a decision by tomorrow.
- The manager took interviews of ten candidates.
Show answers
1. Sorry, I made a mistake in the report. · 2. I took my chemistry test last week. · 3. Please call the office. (or "make a call to the office") · 4. I have a job at a software company. (or "I work at a software company.") · 5. She threw (or had, hosted) a big party for her birthday. · 6. Would you like some tea? · 7. I'm hungry. Let's eat. · 8. I have had a headache since morning. (present perfect with "since": see the grammar guide) · 9. He will make a decision by tomorrow. · 10. The manager interviewed ten candidates. (or "conducted interviews with")
FAQ
Are these mistakes or just Pakistani English?
Some, like "give an exam" and "my head is paining", are widely used across South Asia and will be understood there. But they are not the standard forms used in international exams, interviews or writing, and some can be misread (for example "gave an interview"). The natural forms are worth knowing, and the choice is then yours.
Is there a rule for choosing between "do" and "make"?
A rough one: do for activities and tasks (homework, chores, work), make for creating or producing something (a plan, a mistake, money). There are exceptions, which is why learning the pairs is more reliable than trying to apply the rule.
When Speak & Fix corrects a sentence like "I did a mistake", it saves the pair "made a mistake" to your flashcards, so you review the whole phrase. Try a conversation.