Italian · Everyday Verbs
"to do / to make" in Italian: fare
fare
To do in Italian is fare (FAH-reh). It is irregular: io faccio, tu fai, lui/lei fa, noi facciamo, voi fate, loro fanno. Fare also covers make, so you hear it for meals, plans, and chores.
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How to pronounce fare
Say it
FAH-reh
/ˈfa.re/
Fare stresses FAH: FAH-reh. Faccio is FAHT-choh. Fa is a short FAH.
"to do / to make" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| fare | to do; to make Core verb for actions and many set phrases. | Core verb for actions and many set phrases. |
| faccio / fai / fa | I do / you do / he-she does Irregular singular present forms. | Irregular singular present forms. |
| che fai? | what are you doing? Casual check-in with tu. | Casual check-in with tu. |
| fare colazione | to have breakfast Fixed meal phrase with fare. | Fixed meal phrase with fare. |
How to use fare in real life
- 1Texting a friend
Che fai stasera?
What are you doing tonight?
Che fai uses the tu form of fare.
- 2Kitchen plans
Stasera faccio la pasta.
Tonight I'm making pasta.
Fare covers make as well as do.
- 3At a desk
Devo fare ancora due email.
I still have to do two emails.
Fare + noun for unfinished tasks.
Mistakes English speakers make with fare
Incorrect: Io fare i compiti.
Correct: Faccio i compiti.
Conjugate: io faccio, not io fare.
Incorrect: Cosa tu fai?
Correct: Che fai? / Cosa fai?
Drop the subject pronoun in casual speech; che fai is the everyday line.
Good to know
Fare sits inside dozens of daily phrases: fare la spesa, fare una passeggiata, fare bel tempo. Listen for the whole chunk, not only the dictionary sense do.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Planning a free afternoon in Florence
ChatPal
Che fai dopo pranzo?
What are you doing after lunch?
You
Devo fare la spesa, poi sono libero.
I have to do the shopping, then I'm free.
ChatPal
Perfetto. Possiamo fare un giro in centro.
Perfect. We can take a walk downtown.
You
Sì, facciamo così alle quattro.
Yes, let's do that at four.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to do / to make" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to do / to make" in Italian
Is fare only to do?
No. It often means to make too: faccio una torta, faccio rumore.
Why is io faccio so different?
Fare is irregular. Memorise faccio, fai, fa with facciamo, fate, fanno.
What does che fai mean?
What are you doing? A casual greeting or real question with tu.
How do I say I'm doing nothing?
Non faccio niente. Niente stays after the verb.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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