Faire and close relatives in the present
Third Group — -RE Verbs (The Irregular Faire)
The verb faire (to do / to make) is completely irregular in French.
It is considered a special model because:
- It doesn’t follow any standard third-group pattern
- It appears extremely frequently in everyday French
- It has many uses — literally “does it all”
Why FAIRE Is Special
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Totally irregular stem: you cannot predict it from the infinitive
-
Used in countless idiomatic expressions and constructions
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Acts almost like a helper verb in expressions:
- faire attention → to pay attention
- faire la cuisine → to cook
- faire semblant → to pretend
Because it is so versatile, mastering faire is essential for speaking natural French.
Conjugation of FAIRE (to do / to make)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | fais |
| tu | fais |
| il / elle / on | fait |
| nous | faisons |
| vous | faites |
| ils / elles | font |
Key Notes
- Singular forms: fais / fais / fait
- Plural forms: faisons / faites / font — notice the completely different stem
- No predictable stem pattern — must be memorized individually
Why FAIRE Matters
- Extremely frequent in daily speech
- Used in fixed expressions and idioms
- Its versatility makes it central to French sentence structure
Important Note 1
The French verb faire is the ultimate "multitasker".
Its primary meanings are to do (for activities or tasks) and to make (for creating or producing something).
However, it is also used in countless idiomatic expressions where English uses entirely different verbs, such as describing the weather (il fait beau), talking about sports (faire du sport), or even expressing "to cause" something to happen (faire réparer).
Key Takeaways
- FAIRE is totally irregular — no pattern to follow
- Singular and plural stems are different: fais / fait vs faisons / faites / font
- It’s used in a wide variety of idiomatic expressions
- Mastering FAIRE is essential for speaking French naturally
In the app, you will find interactive exercises and quizzes tailored for this intermediate level.
Practice French conjugation for free in the Croissant Verbs app
Quizzes and spaced repetition for every tense, for free on your phone—plus short grammar guides on our Learn hub.
