Usage note
弄可以表示做、摆弄，也可以表示弄乱。
nòng kě yǐ biǎo shì zuò 、 bǎi nòng， yě kě yǐ biǎo shì nòng luàn。
Do/make can mean to do or handle, and it can also mean to mess up.
Context note
弄常出现在弄好、弄乱、弄清楚这些词里。
nòng cháng chū xiàn zài nòng hǎo 、 nòng luàn 、 nòng qīng chǔ zhè xiē cí lǐ。
Do/make often appears in words like tidy up, mess up, and make clear.
5 examples
我来弄。
wǒ lái nòng。
I will do it.
把书弄好。
bǎ shū nòng hǎo。
Put the books in order.
不要弄乱。
bú yào nòng luàn。
Do not mess it up.
他把事情弄清楚了。
tā bǎ shì qíng nòng qīng chǔ le。
He figured the matter out.
我会弄这个。
wǒ huì nòng zhè ge。
I can handle this.
5 mini stories
我把桌子弄乱了，又赶快整理好。
wǒ bǎ zhuō zi nòng luàn le， yòu gǎn kuài zhěng lǐ hǎo。
I messed up the table and quickly tidied it again.
妈妈说先弄清楚，再开始做。
mā ma shuō xiān nòng qīng chǔ， zài kāi shǐ zuò。
Mom said to make it clear first, then start.
他会弄这个玩具，所以我请他帮忙。
tā huì nòng zhè ge wán jù， suǒ yǐ wǒ qǐng tā bāng máng。
He knows how to handle this toy, so I asked him to help.
我不小心把纸弄皱了。
wǒ bù xiǎo xīn bǎ zhǐ nòng zhòu le。
I accidentally made the paper wrinkled.
把事情弄好以后，大家都轻松了。
bǎ shì qíng nòng hǎo yǐ hòu， dà jiā dōu qīng sōng le。
After getting the matter done, everyone relaxed.
Mini dialogue
别弄坏了
A
小心，别把玩具弄坏了。
Xiǎo xīn, bié bǎ wán jù nòng huài le.
Be careful, don't break the toy.
B
好的，我会轻轻弄。
Hǎo de, wǒ huì qīng qīng nòng.
Okay, I will do it gently.
弄清楚了
A
你把作业弄完了吗？
Nǐ bǎ zuò yè nòng wán le ma?
Have you finished your homework?
B
弄完了，我都弄清楚了。
Nòng wán le, wǒ dōu nòng qīng chu le.
Done, I have figured it all out.
Related words and contrasts
similar
做
zuò
to do, to make
general verb for doing or making
similar
搞
gǎo
to do, to handle
colloquial, similar to 弄 but slightly more casual
related
修理
xiū lǐ
to repair
弄 can mean to fix something when used with 好