The first way we can view 弄 is like we would use the verb "to get". Especially with combination such as 弄到, which works like "get ahold of".
| Meaning like "get" |
|---|
| 怎么弄个...? zěnme nòng gè |
| How do you get a...? |
| 怎么弄那个...? zěnme nòng nèi gè |
| How do you get that...? |
| 他怎么弄到这个消息呢? tā zěnme nòngdào zhèige xiāoxi ne |
| How did he get that information? (How did he find out?) |
It can also have meanings similar to the verbs 做 (zuò) or 办 (bàn), like "to do" or "to make". You can use 弄 (nòng) like a fallback verb, when you aren't sure what verb to use.
| Meaning like "to do" (办 [bàn]) or "to make" (做 [zuò]) |
|---|
| 昨天倩弄好了她的论文? zuótiān qiàn nònghǎo le tā de lùnwén |
| Yesterday Qian finished her thesis |
| 为了把他的小肚子弄掉，他开始锻炼身体 wèile bǎ tā de xiǎodùzi nòng diào, tā kāishǐ duànliàn shēntǐ |
| In order to get rid of his belly, he started to work out. (Lit: In order to make his stomach make lose, he start exercise body.) |
| 我想弄个 wǒ xiǎng nòng gè |
| I want to make a... (especially with big projects or mechanical/technology projects) |
| 理发师给我弄了个时尚的发型 lǐfàshī gěi wǒ nòng le gè shíshàng de fàxíng |
| The barber gave me a stylish haircut |
弄 (nòng) can mean "to mess around" with (and sometimes break)...but it can also means "to fix" (and un-break) as well. This depends on the context of the sentence.
| 弄 (nòng) meaning similar to "to mess around with" |
|---|
| 在网吧一个黑客弄我朋友的电脑 zài wǎngbā yígè hēikè nòng wǒ péngyou de diànnǎo |
| A hacker messed with my friend's computer at the net bar |
| 你应该不玩弄他，他爸是李刚 nǐ yīnggāi bù wánnòng tā, tā bà shì Lǐ Gāng |
| You shouldn't mess with him, his father is Li Gang |
| 我笨蛋弟弟玩弄了我爱心的魔术方块 wǒ bèndàn dìdì wánnòng le wǒ àixīn de móshù fāngkuài |
| My stupid little brother messed around with my beloved Rubik's cube! |
| 弄 (nòng) meaning similar to "to fix" |
|---|
| 谢天谢地，博弄了我们的电脑病毒 xiètiān xièdì, bó nòng le wǒmen de diànnǎo bìngdú |
| Thanks heavens! Bo got rid of our computer virus |
| 管子工把弯的管子弄直了 guǎnzigōng bǎ wān de guǎnzi nòngzhí le |
| The plumber straightened the crooked pipe. |
And of course, it wouldn't be a super-verb without even more uses that are based on context and not easily translated.
| Other uses of 弄 (nòng) |
|---|
| 卖弄 màinòng |
| to show off |
| 弄醒 nòngxǐng |
| to wake somebody up |
| 弄巧成拙 nòngqiǎo chéngzhuō |
| Chengyu: to outsmart oneself (Lit:make skillful become dumb) |
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