捣鼓 (dǎo gǔ) — to tinker with, to fiddle with, to mess around with; (less common) to curse, to abuse, to vilify

Definition

Colloquial verb meaning 'to tinker with / fiddle with' — busy oneself messing around with something to fix, adjust, or figure it out. The 'curse, abuse' sense is rare and informal slang.

verb
to tinker withto fiddle withto mess around with(less common) to curseto abuseto vilify

Examples

  • 捣鼓
    Tā zuì xǐ huan dǎo gǔ gè zhǒng diàn zǐ shè bèi le.
    He loves to tinker with all kinds of electronic devices.
  • 捣鼓
    Nǐ bié zài dǎo gǔ le, kuài guò lái chī fàn!
    Stop fiddling around and come eat!
  • Tā dǎo le bàn tiān gǔ, hái shì méi xiū hǎo.
    He tinkered for a long time but still couldn't fix it.

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