make
(verb)
past tense: made
LISTEN
"Can you make me a cup of tea?"
If you make something, it means that you create it, usually using other things.
- He made this table from old wood.
- I’ll make lunch today.
It can also mean that something exists because of you, or because of something that you did.
- Why are you always making trouble?
We can use make when someone feels something because of us, or because of something that we did.
- I didn’t want to make you sad.
If you make someone do something, it means that they have to do it because of you.
- She made me eat all my vegetables.
Watch out for
When we use a verb after make, we never use to. For example, “He made me do it” is correct, but “He made me to do it” is not.
Don't confuse it with
We normally use do to talk about an action, and make to talk about something that exists because of you. For example: I made a plan. (You created the plan.) I did a test. (You didn’t create the test.)
In pop culture
Do you know the song “Born To Make You Happy” by Britney Spears? It’s about loving someone who isn’t there anymore. Britney Spears wants to be with this person again because she thinks that she can make them happy.
There are other meanings of make.
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