Topics
IntermediateLight Verbs
How common verbs combine with nouns to create verbal meaning in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
Light verbs are semantically bleached verbs that combine with nouns to create complex predicates. English uses take/give/have/make/do. Spanish uses dar/hacer/tener/pasar. Chinese uses 做/进行/加以/给.
Overview
Light verbs are high-frequency, semantically general verbs that combine with nouns to create more specific meanings. The noun carries most of the semantic content.
- Spanish: Uses dar (give), hacer (make/do), tomar (take), tener (have), pasar (spend), and echar (throw/look) as light verbs. Many are reflexive.
- English: Uses take, give, have, make, do, get as the core light verbs. Extremely productive in phrasal combinations.
- Chinese: Often uses the noun itself as a verb (散歩 = to walk). When a light verb is needed, 做, 进行, 加以, or 给 are used. Reduplication and 一下 soften the action.
Spanish
Dar (give)
| Expression | Literal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dar un paseo | give a walk | take a walk |
| dar un abrazo | give a hug | give a hug |
| dar un beso | give a kiss | give a kiss |
| dar un salto | give a jump | jump |
| dar un grito | give a shout | shout |
| dar una vuelta | give a turn | take a spin |
| dar una palmada | give a clap | clap |
| dar asco | give disgust | disgust |
| dar miedo | give fear | scare |
| dar igual | give equal | not matter |
| dar por hecho | give for done | take for granted |
Hacer (make/do)
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hacer los deberes | do homework |
| hacer una pregunta | ask a question |
| hacer una foto | take a photo |
| hacer caso | pay attention |
| hacer daño | harm |
| hacer falta | be necessary |
| hacer bien | do good (to) |
| hacerse daño | hurt oneself |
| hacerse el tonto | play dumb |
Tomar (take)
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| tomar una decisión | make a decision |
| tomar una foto | take a photo (Latin America) |
| tomar el pelo | pull someone’s leg |
| tomar el sol | sunbathe |
| tomar el tren | take the train |
| tomar en cuenta | take into account |
Tener (have)
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| tener hambre | be hungry |
| tener sueño | be sleepy |
| tener frío | be cold |
| tener razón | be right |
| tener cuidado | be careful |
| tener éxito | be successful |
| tener lugar | take place |
| tener que + inf | have to |
Pasar (spend/pass)
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pasar miedo | be frightened |
| pasar frío | be cold |
| pasar hambre | go hungry |
| pasar de… | not care about |
| pasarlo bien | have a good time |
Echar (throw/cast)
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| echar de menos | miss (someone) |
| echar un vistazo | take a look |
| echar una mano | lend a hand |
| echar la culpa | blame |
| echar a perder | ruin, spoil |
| echarse a reír | burst out laughing |
| echarse a llorar | burst out crying |
Poner (put)
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| poner atención | pay attention |
| poner en práctica | put into practice |
| ponerse a + inf | begin to |
| ponerse en contacto | get in touch |
| ponerse de acuerdo | reach an agreement |
| ponerse rojo | blush |
English
Take
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take a walk | walk |
| take a shower | shower |
| take a look | look |
| take a photo | photograph |
| take a break | rest |
| take a seat | sit |
| take care | be careful |
| take place | happen |
| take into account | consider |
| take advantage of | exploit |
| take part in | participate |
| take place | happen |
Give
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| give a speech | speak |
| give a presentation | present |
| give a call | call |
| give a hand | help |
| give a ride | drive someone |
| give a kiss | kiss |
| give a hug | hug |
| give permission | permit |
| give advice | advise |
| give up | surrender |
| give in | yield |
| give back | return |
Have
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| have a look | look |
| have a drink | drink |
| have a try | try |
| have a rest | rest |
| have a talk | talk |
| have a shower | shower (British) |
| have breakfast | eat breakfast |
| have fun | enjoy |
| have trouble | struggle |
| have time | possess time |
| have a good time | enjoy |
Make
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| make a decision | decide |
| make a mistake | err |
| make an effort | try hard |
| make a promise | promise |
| make a suggestion | suggest |
| make sense | be logical |
| make progress | advance |
| make friends | befriend |
| make money | earn |
| make sure | ensure |
| make up | reconcile / invent |
| make out | discern |
Do
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| do homework | complete homework |
| do business | conduct business |
| do someone a favor | help |
| do the dishes | wash dishes |
| do laundry | wash clothes |
| do one’s best | try hard |
| do harm | harm |
| do good | benefit |
| do research | research |
| do well | succeed |
Get
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get a job | obtain employment |
| get a ride | obtain transportation |
| get permission | obtain permission |
| get in touch | contact |
| get rid of | eliminate |
| get used to | become accustomed |
| get angry | become angry |
| get lost | become lost |
| get ready | prepare |
| get started | begin |
Chinese
Verb-noun as single unit (no light verb)
Chinese often combines noun and verb into a single word:
| Word | Noun | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| 散步 | walk (noun) | walk (verb) |
| 游泳 | swimming (noun) | swim (verb) |
| 睡觉 | sleep (noun) | sleep (verb) |
| 洗澡 | bath (noun) | bathe (verb) |
| 唱歌 | song (noun) | sing (verb) |
| 跳舞 | dance (noun) | dance (verb) |
| 吃饭 | meal (noun) | eat (verb) |
| 睡觉 | sleep (noun) | sleep (verb) |
No light verb needed: 散步 already means “take a walk.”
做 as light verb
做 (do/make) + noun:
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 做作业 | do homework |
| 做决定 | make a decision |
| 做饭 | cook |
| 做生意 | do business |
| 做梦 | dream |
| 做好准备 | prepare |
进行 as formal light verb
进行 (carry out) + abstract noun:
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 进行研究 | conduct research |
| 进行改革 | carry out reform |
| 进行调查 | conduct investigation |
| 进行讨论 | have a discussion |
加以 as formal light verb
加以 + verb (formal, improvement-oriented):
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 加以改善 | make improvements |
| 加以利用 | make use of |
| 加以考虑 | give consideration |
给 as benefactive light verb
给 + person + verb:
- 给我看看 (show me)
- 给你讲一下 (explain to you)
打个 as informal light verb
打个 + noun:
- 打个招呼 (greet)
- 打个电话 (make a call)
- 打个喷嚏 (sneeze)
一下 for softening
Adding 一下 to a verb softens it:
- 看一下 (take a look)
- 试一下 (give it a try)
- 想一下 (think about it)
Comparison at a glance
| Concept | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take a walk | dar un paseo | take a walk | 散步 |
| Take a shower | ducharse | take a shower | 洗澡 |
| Make a decision | tomar una decisión | make a decision | 做决定 |
| Do homework | hacer los deberes | do homework | 做作业 |
| Have a look | echar un vistazo | have a look | 看一下 |
| Give a speech | dar un discurso | give a speech | 讲话 |
| Make an effort | hacer un esfuerzo | make an effort | 努力 |
| Take a photo | hacer una foto | take a photo | 拍照 |
| Pay attention | poner atención | pay attention | 注意 |
| Sunbathe | tomar el sol | sunbathe | 晒太阳 |
Examples in context
Take a walk
- ES: Voy a dar un paseo.
- EN: I’m going to take a walk.
- ZH: 我去散步。
Make a decision
- ES: Tienes que tomar una decisión.
- EN: You have to make a decision.
- ZH: 你要做决定。
Have a look
- ES: Echa un vistazo.
- EN: Have a look.
- ZH: 看一下。
Common mistakes
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Tomar una foto is Latin American; Spain prefers hacer una foto
-
Spanish speakers learning English: Do a decision → make a decision
-
English speakers learning Chinese: 做散步 → 散步 (no light verb needed)
-
Chinese speakers learning English: I will walk-walk → I’ll take a walk / I’ll go for a walk
Related topics
- Serial Verbs: How verbs combine in Chinese
- Causatives: How causative verbs work
- Prepositions: How prepositions pair with verbs
- Word Order: How light verb + noun structures fit into sentences
Examples
Take a walk
dar un paseo
Take a shower
ducharse
Make a decision
tomar una decisión
Do homework
hacer los deberes
Have a look
echar un vistazo
Give a speech
dar un discurso
Make an effort
hacer un esfuerzo
Take a photo
hacer una foto
Examples
Take a walk
take a walk
Take a shower
take a shower
Make a decision
make a decision
Do homework
do homework
Have a look
have a look
Give a speech
give a speech
Make an effort
make an effort
Take a photo
take a photo
Examples
Take a walk
散步 (verb) / 散一下步
Take a shower
洗澡 / 冲个澡
Make a decision
做决定
Do homework
做作业
Have a look
看一下
Give a speech
讲话 / 发表演讲
Make an effort
努力 / 尽力
Take a photo
拍照 / 拍一张照片
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take a walk | dar un paseo | take a walk | 散步 (verb) / 散一下步 |
| Take a shower | ducharse | take a shower | 洗澡 / 冲个澡 |
| Make a decision | tomar una decisión | make a decision | 做决定 |
| Do homework | hacer los deberes | do homework | 做作业 |
| Have a look | echar un vistazo | have a look | 看一下 |
| Give a speech | dar un discurso | give a speech | 讲话 / 发表演讲 |
| Make an effort | hacer un esfuerzo | make an effort | 努力 / 尽力 |
| Take a photo | hacer una foto | take a photo | 拍照 / 拍一张照片 |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take a walk | dar un paseo | take a walk | 散步 (verb) / 散一下步 |
| Take a shower | ducharse | take a shower | 洗澡 / 冲个澡 |
| Make a decision | tomar una decisión | make a decision | 做决定 |
| Do homework | hacer los deberes | do homework | 做作业 |
| Have a look | echar un vistazo | have a look | 看一下 |
| Give a speech | dar un discurso | give a speech | 讲话 / 发表演讲 |
| Make an effort | hacer un esfuerzo | make an effort | 努力 / 尽力 |
| Take a photo | hacer una foto | take a photo | 拍照 / 拍一张照片 |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
Take a walk
Spanish
dar un paseo
English
take a walk
Chinese
散步 (verb) / 散一下步
Take a shower
Spanish
ducharse
English
take a shower
Chinese
洗澡 / 冲个澡
Make a decision
Spanish
tomar una decisión
English
make a decision
Chinese
做决定
Do homework
Spanish
hacer los deberes
English
do homework
Chinese
做作业
Have a look
Spanish
echar un vistazo
English
have a look
Chinese
看一下
Give a speech
Spanish
dar un discurso
English
give a speech
Chinese
讲话 / 发表演讲
Make an effort
Spanish
hacer un esfuerzo
English
make an effort
Chinese
努力 / 尽力
Take a photo
Spanish
hacer una foto
English
take a photo
Chinese
拍照 / 拍一张照片
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Uses dar (give), hacer (make/do), tomar (take), tener (have), pasar (spend), and echar (throw/look) as light verbs. Many are reflexive.
English: Uses take, give, have, make, do, get as the core light verbs. Extremely productive in phrasal combinations.
Chinese: Often uses the noun itself as a verb (散sàn歩bù = to walk). When a light verb is needed, 做zuò, 进jìn行háng, 加jiā以yǐ, or 给gěi are used. Reduplica...
Key concepts compared: Take a walk, Take a shower, Make a decision.
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Last updated: June 4, 2026