The verb hacer is irregular in several tenses and is commonly used in everyday conversation, as well as in more formal contexts. It can mean "to do," "to make," or even "to cause," depending on the context.
Meaning and Usage
Hacer can be translated as "to do" or "to make," and its meaning depends on the context:
- To do: Refers to performing tasks or activities.
- To make: Refers to creating or producing something.
- It is also used in fixed expressions (e.g., hacer la cama = to make the bed).
Irregularities
Hacer is irregular in several key areas:
- The yo form ends in -go (yo hago) in the present tense.
- Stem changes appear in some past and subjunctive forms (e.g., hic- in preterite).
- The future and conditional tenses have irregular stems: har-.
Which form shows the -go irregularity in the present tense?
yo hago
Only the yo form of hacer ends in -go: hago. Other present tense forms follow the regular pattern.
Hacer is conjugated irregularly in several tenses. Below are the most important forms along with sample sentences.
Present Tense
| Spanish Pronoun | Conjugation | Example | English Conjugation | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hago | Yo hago la tarea. | I do/make | I do the homework. |
| tú | haces | Tú haces ejercicio. | You do/make | You do exercise. |
| él/ella | hace | Ella hace una pregunta. | He/She does/makes | She asks a question. |
| nosotros | hacemos | Hacemos la cena. | We do/make | We make dinner. |
| ellos | hacen | Hacen un pastel. | They do/make | They make a cake. |
Preterite Tense
| Spanish Pronoun | Conjugation | Example | English Conjugation | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hice | Hice la cama. | I made/did | I made the bed. |
| tú | hiciste | Hiciste un dibujo. | You made/did | You made a drawing. |
| él/ella | hizo | Ella hizo un viaje. | He/She made/did | She took a trip. |
| nosotros | hicimos | Hicimos la tarea. | We made/did | We did the homework. |
| ellos | hicieron | Hicieron ruido. | They made/did | They made noise. |
They made noise.
Hicieron ruido.
'Hicieron' is the third-person plural preterite form, meaning 'they made/did.'
Future Tense
| Spanish Pronoun | Conjugation | Example | English Conjugation | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | haré | Haré la cena. | I will make | I will make dinner. |
| tú | harás | Harás un pastel. | You will make | You will make a cake. |
| él/ella | hará | Él hará ejercicio. | He/She will do | He will exercise. |
| nosotros | haremos | Haremos un viaje. | We will make/do | We will take a trip. |
| ellos | harán | Harán la tarea. | They will do | They will do the homework. |
You will make a cake.
Harás un pastel.
'Harás' uses the irregular future stem har- for second-person singular.
Present Subjunctive
| Spanish Pronoun | Conjugation | Example | English Conjugation | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | haga | Espero que haga sol. | I hope that ... makes/does | I hope it’s sunny. |
| tú | hagas | Quiero que hagas tu tarea. | You do/make | I want you to do your homework. |
| él/ella | haga | Ojalá que haga frío. | He/She does/makes | I hope it’s cold. |
| nosotros | hagamos | Es bueno que hagamos ejercicio. | We do/make | It’s good that we exercise. |
| ellos | hagan | Es posible que hagan ruido. | They do/make | They might make noise. |
hacer appears in many common expressions and phrases:
Time Expressions
hacer + time + que + [present tense]: Used to say how long something has been happening.
- Hace dos horas que trabajo. (I've been working for two hours.)
- Hace un año que estudio español. (I've been studying Spanish for one year.)
Weather
hacer + noun: Used to describe weather conditions.
- Hace frío. (It’s cold.)
- Hace sol. (It’s sunny.)
- Hace viento. (It’s windy.)
Everyday Actions
- hacer la cama (to make the bed)
- hacer ejercicio (to exercise)
- hacer una pregunta (to ask a question)
- hacer un favor (to do a favor)
- Hacer means "to do" or "to make."
- Irregular forms include yo hago, hice, haré, and haga.
- Used in time expressions like hace dos horas que...
- Common in weather phrases: Hace frío, hace sol.
- Appears in many everyday expressions.
Learning hacer unlocks a huge part of Spanish because it is used in so many different contexts.
Flashcards (1 of 20)
- Conjugation: hago
- Example: Yo hago la tarea.
- English Conjugation: I do/make
- English Example: I do the homework.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
