37 FARE E ESPRESSIONI DI FARE

Studiamo !

The verb Fare can translate into English in different ways depending on the context. It can mean: “to do”; “to make”; “to be” (weather); “to equal” (math); “to go”, and more.

Here is how we conjugate fare in the present tense:

(a) Most of the time fare means either “to do” or “to make”. Thus, the question Cosa fai ? could mean “What do you do?” or “What do you make?” depending on the context.

Faire can also be used to talk about what someone is doing now or soon, and what work people do in general. For example:

— Cosa fai questo weekend? (What are you doing this week-end?)
— Lavoro al ristorante. (I am working at the restaurant.)

— Che fa tuo padre? (What does your father do?)
— È ingegnere (He’s an engineer.)

Below is a summary of different ways to use faire, followed by a list of common and useful expressions with fare.

(b) The verb fare can be used to talk about the weather.

— Che tempo fa? (What’s the weather like?)
— Fa caldo ! (It’s hot!)

(c) Expressions con faire. Fare is said in many expressions that name specific activities

Facciamo sci d’acqua al lago. (We go water skiing at the lake.)

Facciamo un pisolino alle 14. (We take a nap at 2 pm.)

Faccio matematica per essere uno scienziato. (I am studying math in order to be a scientist.)

There are numerous activities that are said in the form of an expression with fare rather than with a single verb. In English we often use expressions with the verb to go in a similar way (to go dancing, to go shopping, etc.), but there are numerous translations of fare.

Suggestion: When you don’t know the Italian verb for a certain activity, you can always try using fare followed by the name of that activity or words associated with that activity. Am Italian-speaker will gladly help you find the right verb.