Present Tense of Aller and Faire
In this lesson, we cover the present tense of two further irregular verbs, aller (‘to go’) and faire (‘to do, to make’).
What is the present tense of aller (‘to go’)?
This is the French present tense of aller, (‘to go’) along with English translations.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je vais | I go, I am going, I do go |
| tu vas | you go, you are going, you do go |
| il va / elle va | he goes, he is going, he does go / she goes, she is going, she does go |
| nous allons | we go, we are going, we do go |
| vous allez | you go, you are going, you do go |
| ils vont / elles vont | they go, they are going, they do go |
What is the present tense of faire (‘to do, to make’)?
This is also irregular and is formed as follows:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je fais | I do, I am doing, I make, I am making |
| tu fais | you do, you are doing, you make, you are making |
| il fait / elle fait | he does, he is doing, he makes, he is making |
| nous faisons | we do, we are doing, we make, we are making |
| vous faites | you do, you are doing, you make, you are making |
| ils font / elles font | they do, they are doing, they make, they are making |
What are some idiomatic uses of faire (‘to do, to make’)?
Faire is often used in French as part of more idiomatic expressions and everyday phrases, so it’s a really useful verb to know. Here are some examples:
| faire attention | to pay attention |
| faire les courses | to go shopping (i.e. for necessities) |
| faire les magasins | to go round the shops, go shopping) |
| faire de la bicyclette | to ride a bicycle |
| faire du vélo | to go cycling |
| faire de la voile | to sail, go sailing |
| faire du camping | to go camping |
| faire la grève | to go on strike |
| faire du ski | to go skiing |
| faire du tricot | to knit |
| faire le ménage | to do housework |
| faire la lessive | to do the washing up |
| faire le lit | to make the bed |
| faire du sport | to play sports |
| faire du bricolage | to do some DIY |
| faire une promenade | to take a walk |
| faire de son mieux | to do one’s best |
| faire mal | to hurt |