Household chores are part of everyday life, whether you live alone, with family, or with other people.
French uses several expressions with faire for common chores, while other household tasks have their own verbs.
Common chores with faire
Many common household chores use faire followed by a noun. Learn these as complete expressions rather than translating faire separately each time:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| faire le ménage | to do the housework / clean |
| faire la vaisselle | to do the dishes |
| faire la lessive | to do the laundry |
| faire le lit | to make the bed |
| faire les courses | to do the grocery shopping |
| faire la cuisine | to cook |
These expressions can describe ordinary tasks around the home:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je fais la vaisselle. | I do the dishes. |
| Nous faisons le ménage. | We do the housework. |
| Elle fait la lessive. | She does the laundry. |
| Il fait les courses. | He does the grocery shopping. |
Chores with other verbs
Many household tasks use a verb that tells you more specifically what you are doing.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| nettoyer | to clean |
| ranger | to tidy / put away |
| balayer | to sweep |
| passer l'aspirateur | to vacuum |
| laver | to wash |
| vider la poubelle | to empty the trash / bin |
| sortir la poubelle | to take out the trash / bin |
| mettre la table | to set the table |
| débarrasser la table | to clear the table |
With verbs such as nettoyer, ranger, and laver, you can say what you are cleaning, tidying, or washing:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je nettoie la cuisine. | I clean the kitchen. |
| Elle range sa chambre. | She tidies her room. |
| Il passe l'aspirateur dans le salon. | He vacuums the living room. |
| Nous débarrassons la table. | We clear the table. |
Saying when you do chores
Chores often happen at a particular part of the day or on a particular day of the week. Add a time expression to say when you do them:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je fais mon lit le matin. | I make my bed in the morning. |
| Nous faisons les courses le samedi. | We do the grocery shopping on Saturdays. |
| Elle fait la lessive le week-end. | She does the laundry on weekends. |
| Je fais la vaisselle après le dîner. | I do the dishes after dinner. |
You can also say how often a chore is done:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je fais toujours mon lit. | I always make my bed. |
| Il passe souvent l'aspirateur. | He often vacuums. |
| Nous faisons le ménage une fois par semaine. | We do the housework once a week. |
| Elle fait la lessive deux fois par semaine. | She does the laundry twice a week. |
Asking someone to help with a chore
At home, Tu peux... ? is a simple way to ask someone you know to do something. Use Vous pouvez... ? when you address someone as vous:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Tu peux faire la vaisselle ? | Can you do the dishes? |
| Tu peux mettre la table ? | Can you set the table? |
| Tu peux sortir la poubelle ? | Can you take out the trash / bin? |
| Vous pouvez m'aider à ranger ? | Can you help me tidy up? |
The verb after Tu peux... ? or Vous pouvez... ? stays in the infinitive. For example, Tu peux passer l'aspirateur ? means "Can you vacuum?"
From learning to practice
The next time you do something around the house, try to recall the French expression for the task. Pay particular attention to whether it uses faire, such as faire la vaisselle, or another verb, such as ranger, nettoyer, or passer l'aspirateur.