Languages › French All About the Major French Verb Faire Share Flipboard Email Print fcafotodigita/Getty Images French Grammar Pronunciation & Conversation Vocabulary Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Updated January 10, 2019 The irregular verb faire ("to do" or "to make") is one of the 10 most frequently used verbs in the French language alongside être, avoir, dire, aller, voir, savoir, pouvoir, falloir, and vouloir. Faire is also used to form the causative construction and in numerous idiomatic expressions. 'To Do' or 'To Make' Faire means "to do" and "to make" in most senses that these verbs are used in English. Je fais la lessive: I'm doing the laundry.Je fais mes devoirs: I'm doing my homework.Je fais du bricolage: I do odd jobs/DIY projects.Je fais un gâteau: I'm making a cake.Je fais des projets: I'm making plans.Je fais des progrès: I'm making progress. Exceptions When the intent is to communicate "to make," the French tend to be more specific, and, instead of faire, they would use, for example, fabriquer, construire, obliger, forcer, donner, or a whole list of alternate verbs. In the following instances, idiomatic usage calls for the verbs rendre and prendre, not faire: When "to make" is followed by an adjective, it is translated by rendre: Ça me rend heureux: That makes me happy. "To make a decision" is expressed with prendre une décision: J'ai pris une décision: I made a decision. Causative Construction The causative construction faire plus an infinitive describes when someone or something has something done, makes someone do something, or causes something to happen. Je fais laver la voiture: I'm having the car washed.Il m'a fait laver la voiture: He made me wash the car.Le froid fait geler l'eau: Cold makes water freeze. Expressions With 'Faire' Faire is used in a number of idiomatic expressions, including many related to weather, sports, math, and everyday life. Il fait du soleil: It's sunnyIl fait froid: It's cold out.il fait beau/il fait beau temps: It's nice weather./It's nice out./The weather is fine/nice.Je fais du ski: I ski.Je fais du golf: I golf.Deux et deux font quatre: Two plus two equals (makes) four.Je fais de l'autostop: I'm hitchhiking.Il fait à sa tête: He acts impulsively.Ça fait parti de notre projet: That's part of our plan.faire 5 kilomètres: to go 5 kilometersfaire trois heures: to be on the road for three hoursfaire acte de présence: to put in an appearancefaire attention à: to pay attention to, watch out forfaire bon accueil: to welcomefaire de la peine à quelqu'un: to hurt someone (emotionally or morally)faire de la photographie: to do photography as a hobbyfaire des châteaux en Espagne: to build castles in the airfaire des cours: to give classes, lecturesfaire des économies: to save up/to save money/to economizefaire de son mieux: to do one's bestfaire du lard (familiar): to sit around doing nothingfaire du sport: to play sportsfaire du théâtre: to be an actor/to do some actingfaire du violon, piano: to study violin, pianofaire d'une pierre deux coups: to kill two birds with one stonefaire face à: to oppose/to face up tofaire fi: to scornfaire jour, nuit: to be daytime, nighttimefaire la bête: to act like a foolfaire la bise, le bisou: to kiss hellofaire la connaissance de: to meet (for the first time)faire le ménage: to do housework Conjugations You will find all tenses of faire conjugated elsewhere; for now, here is the present tense to illustrate just how irregular this essential French verb is. Present tense je faistu faisil faitnous faisonsvous faitesils font