what does the phrase '搞个通宵' mean?

[Duney]

I have been warned to be careful with using 搞 because it can mean something 'bad'.

but what about this phrase 搞个通宵?

My dictionary says 搞 means 'make, do'

I have seen an online dictionary translate it as 'to clarify, clear'

I have been told by a friend that it can also mean 'talking, playing'

So I am confused. What is the real story behind the word 搞?

[florazheng]

Hi Duney,

1 搞个通宵=stay up, have a white night

As you might know, there are set phrases or idioms that you can not translate word to word.

For example, a gay dog=a lively, pleasure-loving person but not 快乐的狗

If you say to a Chinese that s/he is a gay dog and translate it word to word, it is most possible that the Chinese will be offensive because 'dog" is an abusive character, which is refered to a person.

2 搞=make, do (which is translated word to word), play etc.

eg1 搞对象 make a gf/ bf

eg2 你来搞这个工作 you do this job＝你来做这个工作

eg3 有没有搞错 Do you make it wrong?

eg4搞鬼 play a trick

I think that the explanation of your dictionary is exactly correct but NOT that of on-line dictionary.

Hope this helps.

[smurf]

搞 do (something)

个 one

通 whole

宵 night

doing something up all night.

搞明白: clarify

in this case, 搞 still means "doing something" but the whole phrase means " to clarify by doing something...

[roddy]

I think in (British, at least) English this would be 'to pull an all-nighter'. I've also seen reference to a 通宵派队 - an all-night party.

Roddy

[skylee]

通宵派队 - an all-night party

排队 is to queue up; 派对 is a party.

[39degN]

Does any one else notice this "搞个通宵" could mean something porny?

[Duney]

Well, yes. That was part of the reason I asked the question. I was told that if a man 搞 a woman, well, that was bad. In particular, I was trying to say, 'I will do that' in reply to a request to do a task, and I wrote 我要搞那个. I was told that sounds like I want to 'gao' that girl, even though I did not say girl in the sentence.

Also, i guess in this context 搞 means to have sex, but I was told this was not a nice way to say it. Maybe like you said, this word implies something a little nasty or pornographic, as opposed to making love. I don't know because I wasn't told anything more detailed than what I have told here.

[anonymoose]

As far as I know, 搞 has this extended meaning in Taiwan, and means something like "fuck".

On the mainland, 搞 is frequently used and I don't think it has any relation to sex. (But I could be wrong.)

[roddy]

I think sometimes people are too quick to avoid words on the basis that they can have some rude or obscene meaning. You wouldn't tell an English learner to avoid the words 'have' ' because some people (much more uncouth than myself, of course ) might say 'I've 'ad 'er' - be cautious with 搞 perhaps, but keep using it - there's nothing like a well aimed '你有没有搞错 . . .

Same happens I think with 小姐, and 同志 (I think I've said this on here before). I've heard Chinese learners telling other Chinese learners to avoid these as they can mean 'prostitute' and 'homosexual' respectively. This might be true in certain contexts, but here in Beijing at least you hear both used often.

Roddy