Faire is one of the most important and versatile verbs in French, meaning “to do” and “to make.” It’s used both as a main verb and as a building block in many common expressions, covering everything from activities and tasks to weather and events. Mastering faire unlocks a huge part of everyday French.
- Core meanings: to do, to make
- Used for actions, creations, and tasks
- Forms the base for many idiomatic expressions
*faire* means "to do" and "to make."
*faire* is used for doing or making things, and applies to many contexts beyond just cooking or one tense.
Present Tense: Faire
| Subject | Faire (to do/make) |
|---|---|
| Je | fais |
| Tu | fais |
| Il/Elle/On | fait |
| Nous | faisons |
| Vous | faites |
| Ils/Elles | font |
Example:
- Je fais mes devoirs. (I do my homework.)
- Elle fait un gâteau. (She’s making a cake.)
- Present tense shows both “do” and “make” usages.
- Nous/vous/ils forms follow regular -re patterns, but je/tu are irregular.
The correct forms are je fais, tu fais, il fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils font.
A standard use is 'On fait une promenade' (We’re taking a walk/making a walk).
Key Expressions with Faire
Faire appears in many common phrases:
- faire la vaisselle (to do the dishes)
- faire ses devoirs (to do homework)
- faire du sport (to play/do sports)
- faire attention (to pay attention)
- faire la fête (to party)
- faire froid/chaud (to be cold/hot — about weather)
These idioms are essential for natural French.
Common expressions include faire la vaisselle, faire du sport, faire ses devoirs, faire attention.
'Faire la fête' means 'to party.'
Past Tense: Passé Composé
Faire is conjugated with avoir:
avoir + fait
- J’ai fait (I did/made)
- Tu as fait, Il/elle a fait
- Nous avons fait, Vous avez fait
- Ils/elles ont fait
Example:
- Nous avons fait une erreur. (We made a mistake.)
The past participle is 'fait.'
Use avoir + fait; 'Nous avons fait' is correct.
Future Tense
| Subject | Future Faire |
|---|---|
| Je | ferai |
| Tu | feras |
| Il/Elle | fera |
| Nous | ferons |
| Vous | ferez |
| Ils/Elles | feront |
Example:
- Elle fera le ménage demain. (She will do the cleaning tomorrow.)
- Faire uses the stem fer- for all future forms.
The stem is 'fer-'.
Je ferai (I will do), Ils feront (They will do) are correct.
Conclusion
Faire is a powerhouse verb connecting action, creation, and daily life across all tenses and idioms.
- Use faire for both literal and idiomatic expressions about doing/making.
- Master its forms to unlock fluent communication in diverse contexts.