Definition
鼓捣 is a colloquial verb with two main clusters of meaning. The most common sense is 'to tinker with, to fiddle with' — working on something with your hands in a trial-and-error way, often repairing or adjusting mechanical objects (鼓捣电脑, 鼓捣收音机). A second, less common sense is 'to incite or egg someone on' (鼓捣他去做某事), but this is rarer in daily conversation and more typical of older or dialectal usage. Other dictionary glosses like 'smooth out' or 'consume' are marginal and appear in regional speech. The word is informal and should not be used in formal writing.
v.
to tinker withto fiddle with (colloquial)to inciteto egg on (less common)
Examples
- 鼓捣。Tā yíxià bān jiù huí jiā gǔ dǎo tā nà liàng jiù zìxíngchē.He goes home right after work to tinker with his old bicycle.
- 鼓捣，。Nǐ bié gǔ dǎo wǒ, wǒ bú huì qù zuò nà zhǒng shì.Don't egg me on — I won't do that kind of thing.
- 鼓捣。Yéye xǐhuan zài yuànzi lǐ gǔ dǎo huā cǎo.Grandpa likes to fiddle with flowers and plants in the yard.
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