The verb faire (to do or to make) is an irregular verb, used both literally, meaning to do or to make, and in many expressions.
FAIRE – Present tense and common expressions / French conjugation course / Lesson 10
Conjugation of Faire
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1re personne singulier / 1st person singular | Je fais | I do/make |
| 2e personne singulier / 2nd person singular | Tu fais | You do/make |
| 3e personne singulier / 3rd Person singular | Il/elle/on fait | He/she does/makes |
| 1re personne pluriel / 1st person plural | Nous faisons | We do/make |
| 2e personne pluriel / 2nd person plural | Vous faites | You do/make (formal or plural) |
| 3e personne pluriel / 3rd person plural | Ils/elles font | They make |
Important Notes
- The singular forms are all pronounced the same.
- The vous form does not finish in “ez“.
Example of expressions: we use “faire” for certain weather expressions. When we talk about sports, we can also use faire:
Tiger Woods fait du golf. Rafael Nadal fait du tennis.
Faire as a “substitute” verb
You can use the verb faire to ask a question: Qu’est-ce que vous faites? (“What are you doing?”). Usually, you will reply not with the verb faire itself, but with the verb that describes the activity you are doing.
Q: Charles, que fais-tu? (Charles, what are you doing?)
R: Je mange une pomme. (I’m eating an apple.)
Select the play button to hear an example.
Exercise: Qu’est-ce que vous faites?
Fill in the Blanks
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA.
