구동사 시리즈 #6

English Mechanism

구동사 시리즈 #6 – MAKE

slowblooms 2025. 11. 4. 06:55

📘 Phrasal Verb Series #6 – MAKE

🌿 Thinking in English: The Language of Creation

“MAKE” is one of the most powerful verbs in English.
It doesn’t describe what is, but what becomes.
To make something is to bring it into existence — from idea to form.

🌱 You don’t just “do” something; you “make” it real.

💫 1️⃣ make up

To make up can mean to create, to invent, to reconcile — to fill what’s missing.

Examples

She made up a story for her kids. 📖
→ She created something from imagination.
They finally made up after the argument. 🤝
→ They rebuilt what was broken.
I’ll make up the missed work tomorrow.
→ I’ll complete what was left undone.

👉 Feel it: “make up” always means filling an empty space — whether in time, truth, or heart.

🌿 2️⃣ make out

To make out means to understand, recognize, or manage — often in difficulty.

Examples

I couldn’t make out what he was saying. 👂
→ The sound was there, but the meaning wasn’t clear.
How did you make out on your exam?
→ How did it go? Did you manage well?

👉 Feel it: “make out” = grasping something unclear — pulling it into focus.

🌸 3️⃣ make for

To make for means to move toward or contribute to something.

Examples

The children made for the playground. 🏃‍♀️
→ They headed straight there.
Silence makes for better concentration. 🤫
→ It helps create that state.

👉 Feel it: “make for” = to direct energy toward a result.

💫 4️⃣ make of

To make of something means to interpret or form an opinion.

Examples

What do you make of his attitude? 🤔
→ How do you understand or feel about it?

👉 Feel it: “make of” is shaping meaning — not making things, but making sense.

🌾 5️⃣ make into

To make into means to transform — to change one thing into another.

Examples

She made the leftover fabric into a dress. 👗
→ She turned it into something new.
Time and love can make pain into wisdom. ❤️‍🩹

👉 Feel it: “make into” is alchemy — transformation through intention.

🌊 6️⃣ make out of

To make out of emphasizes material — what something is created from.

Examples

This sculpture is made out of recycled wood. 🪵
The soup was made out of fresh vegetables. 🥣

👉 Feel it: It’s about substance — what reality is built from.

🌻 7️⃣ make up for

To make up for means to compensate, to balance what was lost.

Examples

I’ll make up for being late by helping extra.
A small gesture can make up for many mistakes. 💐

👉 Feel it: “make up for” brings restoration — balance restored, harmony regained.

🌼 8️⃣ make after

A less common one — to make after means to chase or pursue.

Examples

The police made after the thief. 🚓
→ They went after him with purpose.

👉 Feel it: “make after” = movement driven by intent.

🌸 9️⃣ make do (with)

To make do means to manage with what you have — no perfection, just adaptation.

Examples

We don’t have enough chairs, but we’ll make do.
She made do with instant coffee this morning. ☕

👉 Feel it: “make do” = quiet resilience — using creativity to survive simply.

🌷 10️⃣ make out to be

To make (someone/something) out to be means to describe or portray them — sometimes incorrectly.

Examples

The media made him out to be a villain.
She’s not as strict as people make her out to be.

👉 Feel it: “make out to be” is framing perception — shaping how others see.

🌿 Essence of MAKE

방향 의미 예시 감각

Creation	무(無)에서 유(有)로	make up / make into	창조, 변환
Understanding	감각에서 의미로	make of / make out	해석, 깨달음
Balance	결핍에서 회복으로	make up for / make do	조화, 적응
Direction	목표로 향함	make for / make after	추진, 의도

🌼 Closing Thought

“To make is to create, to transform, to complete —
to turn the invisible into the visible.” 🌿

English uses make not just for building things,
but for shaping the world inside and around us —
for turning thought into form.