As you dive deeper into learning Italian, you’ll discover that some common verbs don’t follow the standard rules of conjugation. Mastering these irregular verbs is key to speaking Italian fluently.
One of the most important irregular verbs to know is “fare” – to do or to make. This multifunctional verb allows you to describe all kinds of actions, making it extremely useful in everyday conversation.
In this lesson, you’ll learn everything you need to know about “fare” – from conjugation charts to example sentences and idiomatic expressions.
Table of Contents
Italian Verb Fare Grammar
Fare is an irregular and transitive Italian verb.
Like dare, stare, and andare, even though it ends in are, the verb fare doesn’t follow the regular conjugation patterns.
We’ll look at how to conjugate fare later on in this article.
Fare Meaning in Italian
Fare is the Italian equivalent of to do and to make. See the examples below.
Yesterday, I made a cake. – Ieri, ho fatto una torta.
I did well, didn’t I? – Ho fatto bene, giusto?
Verb Fare Pronunciation
Have a look at the Italian spelling and English pronunciation below. The latter will help you get the pronunciation right.
I also suggest you listen to me pronouncing fare in the infinitive mood and the present tense conjugation.
| Verb | Italian Spelling | Pronunciation (for English speakers) |
|---|---|---|
| Fare | fa-re | fah-reh |
Fare Auxiliary (Irregular Verb)
Earlier, I mentioned that fare is a transitive verb. That’s important to know because it implies we need to use the auxiliary avere.
But how can you know that?
It’s simple, just follow this rule.
Auxiliary Verb Rule
If the verb is transitive, or can answer the question what, then you need to use avere as the auxiliary.
When a verb can’t answer those questions, it’s called intransitive, and it takes the auxiliary essere. Reflexive verbs always take the auxiliary essere in Italian. Read about them here.
In this case, since fare answers the question of what, we use avere as the auxiliary.
Examples:
Ho fatto bene. (I did well)
Mi hai fatto male. (You hurt me)
Hai fatto il letto? (Did you make the bed)
How to Use Fare in Italian
Fare can have different meanings and uses. Let’s explore them together.
All the Meanings of Italian Verb Fare
To do something
Fare il bagno – to take a bath
Fare un viaggio – to take a trip
Fare gli auguri – to wish
To build
A Catania hanno fatto un ponte. (can be replaced by hanno costruito)
In Catania they build a bridge.
To prepare
La mamma ha fatto una torta. (can be replaced by ha preparato)
Mum has prepared a cake.
To pack
Mi hanno fatto un bel pacco. (fare un pacco)
They packed it nicely.
To produce, to give birth
I vitigni hanno fatto molta uva quest’anno. (can be replaced by hanno prodotto)
The vineyards produced a lot of grapes this year.
Hanno fatto tanti bambini insieme.
They made many kids together.
To emit sound, noise, substance
La macchina sta facendo un rumore strano.
The car is making a strange noise.
To celebrate
Il bimbo ha fatto cinque anni. (can be replaced by ha compiuto)
The child turned 5 years old.
To spend time
Quest’estate facciamo le vacanze in montagna. (can be replaced by passiamo)
This summer we’ll spend the holidays in the mountains.
To compile a document
Hai fatto l’assegno per la Signora? (can be replaced by hai compilato)
Did you compile the check for the lady?
To yield
Uno più uno fa due.
One plus one is two.
To Do Vs To Make In Italian
Since in Italian, you can use fare to mean both there’s nothing to be confused about. Make sure you are using the correct person and tense and your sentence will be excellent.
Italian Verb Fare Can Also Mean To Let or To Help
The verb fare can also take the function of a verb in Italian we call “fattititvo” or “causativo”. A causative verb is a verb that explains what someone else is doing. For that reason, it’s always followed by another verb. It shows that the person is helping someone, or letting someone do something.
In these instances, the verb fare takes the same role as the verb lasciare (to let) and aiutare (to help).
Examples:
Fammi fare un pisolino. (Let me take a nap)
Fai fare il bagno a Maria. (Help Maria take a bath)
Fai studiare Luca. (Make Luca study)
Italian Fare Conjugation For Beginners
Present Tense (Presente)
io faccio
tu fai
lui fa
noi facciamo
voi fate
loro fanno
Translation: I do (or make), you do (or make), he/she/it does (or make), we do (or make), you do (or make), they do (or make).
Past Tense (Imperfetto)
io facevo
tu facevi
lui faceva
noi facevamo
voi facevate
loro facevano
Translation: I did (or made), you did (or made), he did (or made), we did (or made), you did (or made), they did (or made).
Past Tense (Passato Prossimo)
io ho fatto
tu hai fatto
lui ha fatto
noi abbiamo fatto
voi avete fatto
loro hanno fatto
Translation: I have done (or made), you have done (or made), she has done (or made), we have done (or made), you have done (or made), they have done (or made).
Future (Futuro Semplice)
io farò
tu farai
lui farà
noi faremo
voi farete
loro faranno
Translation: I will do (or make), you will do (or make), it will feel do (or make), we will feel do (or make), you will do (or make), they will do (or make).
Past Participle (Participio Passato)
Fatto (done/made)
Infinitive (Infinito Presente)
Fare (to do/make)
Italian Expressions With Verb Fare
Fare is also part of many popular Italian expressions. Here are a few you might want to learn.
Fai da te – DIY or do it yourself
Fare caso – to notice
Fare fronte a – to cope with
Fare fuori – to make out, to kill, to fire someone
Fare leva – to leverage
Fare senso – make sense
Fare presente – to point out
Fare storie – to make a fuss
Fare luce – to shed light
Fare breccia – to strongly impress
Farcela – to manage
Farla franca – to get away with something
Fare a meno di – To do without
Fare bella/brutta figura – To make a good/bad impression
Fare sul serio – To be serious
Fare mente locale – To concentrate, focus
Farsi in quattro – To bend over backward, to make an effort
Farsi vivo – To show up, to make oneself known
Italian Proverbs with Fare
Fare buon viso a cattivo gioco – To put on a brave face despite a bad situation
Fare il bello e il cattivo tempo – To do what you want
Fare un buco nell’acqua – To fail, to be unsuccessful
Fare orecchie da mercante – To turn a deaf ear, to ignore
Italian Verb Fare Examples
In this section, I will give you examples for all the expressions and idioms above.
1. Ho deciso di arredare la casa stile fai da te.
(I decided to furnish the home in DIY style.)
2. Non hai fatto caso al nuovo dipinto sul muro?
(Didn’t you notice the new painting on the wall?)
3. Sto cercando di fare fronte al dolore della perdita.
(I’m trying to cope with the pain of loss.)
4. Il gangster ha fatto fuori il testimone per silenziarlo.
(The gangster made out the witness to silence him.)
5. Il progetto ha fatto leva sulla tecnologia più recente per avere successo.
(The project leveraged the latest technology to be successful.)
6. Le tue parole non fanno senso, non riesco a capire cosa intendi.
(Your words don’t make sense, I can’t understand what you mean.)
7. Vorrei fare presente che questo non è il momento adatto per discutere di questo problema.
(I would like to point out that this is not the right time to discuss this issue.)
8. Non fare storie, è solo una piccola richiesta.
(Don’t make a fuss, it’s just a small request.)
9. La lampada sul tavolo fa luce sufficiente per leggere.
(The lamp on the table sheds enough light for reading.)
10. L’atleta ha fatto breccia nel cuore del pubblico con la sua performance eccezionale.
(The athlete strongly impressed the audience with his exceptional performance.)
11. Non so come farcela con tutti questi compiti da fare.
(I don’t know how to manage all these tasks to do.)
12. Non puoi farla franca dopo quello che hai fatto.
(You can’t get away with it after what you’ve done.)
13. Non posso fare a meno di un buon caffè al mattino.
(I can’t do without a good coffee in the morning.)
14. Devo assicurarmi di fare bella figura al colloquio di lavoro.
(I need to make a good impression at the job interview.)
15. Sta facendo sul serio riguardo alla sua decisione di trasferirsi in un altro paese.
(He’s being serious about his decision to move to another country.)
16. Durante l’esame, ho fatto mente locale per risolvere i problemi matematici.
(During the exam, I concentrated to solve the math problems.)
17. Mi sono fatta in quattro per organizzare questa festa.
(I bent over backward to organize this party.)
18. Non siamo riusciti a far breccia nel mercato con il nostro nuovo prodotto.
(We failed to strongly impress the market with our new product.)
19. Non puoi fare il bello e il cattivo tempo in questa casa.
(You can’t do what you want in this house.)
20. Non fare orecchie da mercante quando ti parlo, è importante.
(Don’t turn a deaf ear when I talk to you, it’s important.)
Fare Conjugation Full Chart
Verb Fare Quiz
Test yourself by completing these sentences.
1. Ieri ____________ (fare) una buona impressione al colloquio di lavoro.
(Yesterday I made a good impression at the job interview.)
2. Non so se ____________ (fare) a meno del mio cellulare per una settimana intera.
(I don’t know if I can do without my phone for a whole week.)
3. Durante l’esame, ____________ (fare) mente locale per ricordare le formule matematiche.
(During the exam, I concentrated on remembering the math formulas.)
4. Oggi ____________ (fare) bella figura con il mio nuovo vestito.
(Today I’m making a good impression with my new dress.)
5. Se non ____________ (fare) sul serio, non riuscirai mai a raggiungere i tuoi obiettivi.
(If you don’t take it seriously, you’ll never achieve your goals.)
6. I miei amici ____________ (fare) storie perché non vogliono venire alla festa.
(My friends are making a fuss because they don’t want to come to the party.)
Final Thoughts
Now that you have a solid grasp on using the irregular verb “fare,” you can apply this knowledge in daily interactions. Keep practicing fare’s various tenses and expressions through example sentences. For even more exposure, read through Italian articles and take note whenever you encounter this versatile verb.
If you’re looking to continue building your skills with irregular Italian verbs, be sure to also study these other verbs ending in are – “andare” (to go), “dare” (to give), and “stare” (to stay).
- Andare Lesson
- Dare Lesson
- Stare Lesson
Fare FAQ
What are the 3 forms of the verb fare?
The 3 forms of the verb fare are: Infinitive: fare, Gerund: facendo, Past Participle: fatto
How do you use fare?
You use fare to express the acts of doing and making in Italian. It is very versatile.
What is the gerund of fare Italian?
The gerund of fare is facendo.
Is fare a reflexive verb in Italian?
No, fare is not a reflexive verb in Italian.
Is fare a regular verb in Italian?
No, fare is an irregular verb in Italian.
What is the difference between fare and stare?
The difference between fare and stare is that fare means “to do/to make” while stare means “to stay/to be.”
What is the past perfect of fare in Italian?
The past perfect (trapassato prossimo) of fare is avevo fatto.
How do you conjugate the verb fare in the present tense?
You conjugate fare in the present tense as:
(io) faccio
(tu) fai
(lui/lei) fa
(noi) facciamo
(voi) fate
(loro) fanno
What’s the present tense of fare?
The present tense of fare is:
(io) faccio
(tu) fai
(lui/lei) fa
(noi) facciamo
(voi) fate
(loro) fanno
What is the Italian verb for to do?
The Italian verb for “to do” is fare.
What is the verb to make in Italian?
The Italian verb for “to make” is also fare.
What is faccio in Italian?
Faccio means “I do” or “I make” in Italian.
What is the passato prossimo of fare in Italian?
The passato prossimo of fare is ho fatto.
How does fare una domanda translate in English?
Fare una domanda translates to “to ask a question” in English.
How does fare una passeggiata translate in English?
Fare una passeggiata translates to “to take a walk” in English.
What are the most common ways to use the Italian verb fare?
The most common uses of fare are: To do, To make, Expressing various actions, In idioms and everyday expressions
What is a causative verb?
A causative verb explains what someone else is doing. Fare can function as a causative verb in Italian.
