Present tense of the French verb faire

Faire is a very common and useful French verb from the 3rd group. It’s kind of a catch-all verb and thus it has several meanings.

How to conjugate and pronounce faire in the present tense?

Here is the conjugation of the verb faire in the French present tense with its pronunciation.

What does faire mean in French? When is it used?

The verb faire has several meanings. The most important are the following:

1) Faire = to make

faire une promesse = to make a promise

faire du thé/du café = to make some tea/some coffee

faire de la peine à quelqu’un = to make somebody unhappy

faire connaître = to make known

2) Faire = to do

faire du bricolage = to do odd jobs

faire le ménage = to do the housework

faire le jardin = to do the gardening

faire la vaisselle = to do the washing-up, to do the dishes

faire la lessive = to do the laundry

faire le repassage = to do the ironing

faire du bien à = to do good to

faire du mal à = to do harm to

faire de son mieux = to do one’s best

faire le tour des cafés/des boîtes de nuit = to do the round of the cafés/the night clubs

faire les magasins = to do shopping

3) Faire = to be

faire partie de quelque chose = to be part of something

=> Weather

Il fait chaud = It’s hot.

=> Sports

Faire is often used to talk about the sports that one practise. The verb faire is used with the name of the activity.

Elle fait de l’équitation. = She rides horses.

Il fait de la natation. = He swims.

=> Maths

Un et deux font trois. = One plus two is three.

Deux fois trois font six. = Two times three is six.

4) Faire = to have something done by someone

Je fais livrer mes courses le samedi. = I get my groceries delivered on Saturdays.

Je lui fais faire ses devoirs. = I make him do his homework./ I make her do her homework.

5) Faire = other verbs

faire un gâteau = to bake a cake

faire la cuisine = to cook

faire des études = to study

faire du français = to study French

faire du piano/du violon = to play the piano/the violin

faire un voyage = to go on a journey, to take a trip

faire un long trajet = to travel a long way

faire une promenade = to go for a walk

faire ses besoins = to go to the toilets, to make a mess (This expression is both used for human beings and animals.)

faire de la fièvre = to have a temperature

n’avoir que faire de = to have non need of

faire plaisir = to please

faire semblant (de dormir) = to pretend (to be asleep)

faire mine de rien = to pretend not to mind

faire la manche = to beg

faire un croche-pied = to trip up

faire la fête = to party

faire le fou = to fool about

faire la bise = to kiss hello

faire un pied de nez à quelqu’un = to thumb one’s nose at somebody

faire du stop/de l’auto-stop = to thumb a lift

Useful expressions and sentences to know with faire

Here are some other French expressions with faire that are commonly used in French:

Que faites-vous dans la vie ? = What do you do for a living?

Qu’est-ce que tu fais ce soir ? = What are you doing tonight?

Cela ne fait rien. = It doesn’t matter.

Quel temps fait-il ? = What’s the weather like?

Il fait beau. = The weather is fine.

Il fait un temps de chien. (familiar and idiomatic) = The weather is dreadful.

Il fait un froid de canard. (familiar and idiomatic) = It is freezing.

Il fait un froid à ne pas mettre le nez dehors. (idiomatic) = It’s freezing cold.

Il fait un peu frisquet. (familiar and idiomatic) = It is a bit chilly.

Il fait un vent à décorner les bœufs. (familiar and idiomatic) = It’s blowing a gale.

Il fait X degrés. = It’s X degrees Celsius.

Now test yourself with a quiz on the conjugation of faire in the present tense!

⇒ Aller – to go

⇒ Croire – to believe, to think

⇒ Devoir

⇒ Dire – to say, to tell