In French, the verbs jouer and faire are both used to express the idea of "playing," but they apply to different situations. Jouer is used for playing games, sports, and musical instruments, while faire is used for certain activities, including some sports and idiomatic expressions. This page focuses on jouer and how it interacts with faire de when talking about playing musical instruments.
- Jouer means "to play" and is followed by à for games and sports, or de for musical instruments.
- Faire de means "to do some" and is used with musical instruments and other activities, often to indicate practicing or engaging in that activity.
- Use jouer à + [game/sport] for playing games or sports (e.g., jouer au tennis).
- Use jouer de + [instrument] for playing musical instruments (e.g., jouer du piano).
- Use faire de + [instrument or activity] to talk about doing or practicing that activity (e.g., faire du piano).
JOUER (to play)
Jouer + à (for games and sports)
Use jouer à when talking about playing games or sports. The preposition à contracts with the definite articles le, la, and les to form au, à la, and aux.
| French Pronoun | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je | Je joue au tennis. | I play tennis. |
| Tu | Tu joues à la pétanque. | You play pétanque. |
| Il/Elle | Il joue aux échecs. | He plays chess. |
| Nous | Nous jouons au football. | We play soccer. |
| Vous | Vous jouez à la console. | You play on the console. |
| Ils/Elles | Elles jouent aux cartes. | They play cards. |
Jouer + de (for musical instruments)
Use jouer de followed by the definite article and the name of a musical instrument.
| French Pronoun | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je | Je joue du piano. | I play the piano. |
| Tu | Tu joues de la guitare. | You play the guitar. |
| Il/Elle | Elle joue de l’alto. | She plays the viola. |
| Nous | Nous jouons des tambours. | We play the drums. |
| Vous | Vous jouez du violon. | You play the violin. |
| Ils/Elles | Ils jouent de la flûte. | They play the flute. |
FAIRE DE (to do/practice)
Faire de + [instrument or activity]
Use faire de followed by the indefinite article du, de la, or de l’ and the name of the instrument or activity. This form often emphasizes the practice or engagement rather than the act of "playing" itself.
| French Pronoun | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je | Je fais du piano. | I do/practice piano. |
| Tu | Tu fais de la guitare. | You do/practice guitar. |
| Il/Elle | Il fait de l’escalade. | He does rock climbing. |
| Nous | Nous faisons du violon. | We do/practice violin. |
| Vous | Vous faites de la natation. | You do swimming. |
| Ils/Elles | Elles font de la danse. | They do dance. |
Choose the correct French phrase: 'She does/practices violin.'
Elle fait du violon.
'Faire du violon' means she does or practices violin. 'Du' is the contraction of 'de le.'
Key Difference: Jouer de vs. Faire de
- Jouer de focuses on the act of playing the instrument (more common in musical contexts).
- Faire de can imply practicing, learning, or casually doing the activity, and it’s used for some sports and artistic activities as well.
| Example | Meaning of Jouer de | Meaning of Faire de | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je joue du piano. | I play the piano. (focus on the musical act) | Je fais du piano. | I do/practice piano. (focus on engagement/practice) |
| Elle joue de la guitare. | She plays the guitar. | Elle fait de la guitare. | She does/practices guitar. |
Choose the correct French phrase: 'I practice guitar.'
Je fais de la guitare.
'Faire de la guitare' means 'I practice guitar.' The article 'de la' agrees with the feminine noun 'guitare.'
Summary
- Use jouer à for games and sports. (jouer + à + definite article + game/sport)
- Use jouer de for musical instruments. (jouer + de + definite article + instrument)
- Use faire de for practicing or doing certain activities, including musical instruments and some sports. (faire + de + indefinite article + activity)
- Remember the article changes based on the gender and number: au (à + le), à la, aux (à + les), du (de + le), de la, de l’.
By understanding these rules and patterns, you can accurately express playing games, sports, and musical instruments in French.
Flashcards (1 of 18)
- English Example: I play tennis.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
