make do

make do — 慣用語

1. to use what you already have instead of getting something better, because the pr

1.慣用語B1
釋義

湊合；將就

在不足條件下勉強使用現有資源

to use what you already have instead of getting something better, because the preferred thing is not available or affordable

例句

When the restaurant ran out of chairs, the customers made do with stools.

餐廳的椅子用完了，顧客們只好湊合著用凳子。

make do with [something available]

After Maja dropped her phone on the pavement, she made do with the cracked screen for three months until payday.

Maja 把手機摔在人行道上之後，湊合著用裂掉的螢幕撐到發薪日。

同義詞
  • get by

    more general, less about sacrificing quality

  • manage

    broader; can refer to any situation, not just scarce resources

  • scrape by

    informal, implies barely having enough

文法句型

make do with [something]

make do without [something]

make do by [verb]ing

用法筆記

Often followed by 'with' (specifying what you use) or 'without' (specifying what you lack). A common alternative pattern is 'make do by + gerund' to explain how you cope.

常見錯誤

❌We made do a cheap phone for weeks.
✅We made do with a cheap phone for weeks.
💡The preposition 'with' is required when naming the thing you used.
❌She made do to eat cold noodles.
✅She made do by eating cold noodles.
💡Use 'by + gerund', not a to-infinitive, to describe the method.

2. to cause a person, group, or oneself to carry out a particular task or activity,

2.慣用語及物B2
釋義

迫使；強迫

強迫某人執行某項任務

to cause a person, group, or oneself to carry out a particular task or activity, often when they would prefer not to

例句

The sergeant made the new soldiers do fifty push-ups for arriving late to training.

中士因為新兵訓練遲到，強迫他們做五十下伏地挺身。

causative: make + object + bare infinitive

Isabela's piano teacher made her do the same scale exercise for an entire hour.

Isabela 的鋼琴老師強迫她把同一個音階練習彈了整整一小時。

同義詞
  • compel

    formal; suggests stronger external pressure

  • require

    less forceful; often used in rules and regulations

  • oblige

    slightly formal; implies a sense of duty

反義詞
  • allow

    opposite direction — granting permission rather than imposing force

  • let

    opposite of 'make' in causative pairs ('make/let')

文法句型

make [someone] do [something]

make [oneself] do [something]

用法筆記

This is the general causative structure 'make + object + bare infinitive', not a fixed phrase. The object can be a person, an organisation, or a reflexive pronoun. Unlike sense 1, the verb 'make' and 'do' are separate syntactic units — there is no fixed phrase 'make do'.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher made the students to rewrite the essay.
✅The teacher made the students rewrite the essay.
💡After causative 'make', use the bare infinitive without 'to'.
❌It made them feeling embarrassed.
✅It made them feel embarrassed.
💡The verb after 'make' is always a bare infinitive, never a present participle.

make do — 片語

make do — 形容詞