After you learn the everyday uses of faire, you’re ready to explore some of the expressions and patterns built around it. For a refresher on the basic forms and uses, start with How to use faire. For all tenses, see the conjugation of faire.
Common expressions
You’ll use faire in many common expressions where English uses a different verb:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| faire attention à | to pay attention to |
| faire la cuisine | to do the cooking |
| faire une promenade | to go for a walk |
Pay particular attention to faire attention à. English uses pay attention, while French uses faire attention.
Usage patterns
Some uses of faire are easier to learn as complete patterns rather than word by word.
faire la connaissance de
Use faire la connaissance de when you meet someone for the first time:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| J'ai fait la connaissance de nos voisins. | I met our neighbors for the first time. |
| Elle a fait la connaissance de son nouveau collègue. | She met her new colleague. |
Ça fait... que
Use ça fait... que to say how long something has been happening:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Ça fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vus. | We haven't seen each other for a long time. |
| Ça fait deux heures que j'attends. | I've been waiting for two hours. |
Common errors
Two common errors English speakers often make involve weather expressions and faire attention à.
Using être for the weather
Use faire, not être, in common weather expressions:
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Il est chaud aujourd'hui. | Il fait chaud aujourd'hui. |
| Il est froid ce matin. | Il fait froid ce matin. |
Il est chaud and il est froid can describe a person or an object. For the weather, use il fait....
Forgetting à after faire attention
Faire attention à needs the preposition à before the person or thing you are paying attention to:
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Fais attention le chien ! | Fais attention au chien ! |
| Faites attention les voitures ! | Faites attention aux voitures ! |
Before you go
Learn these expressions and patterns as complete units rather than translating faire word by word. Pay particular attention to the prepositions that are part of an expression.
Next, explore more advanced uses of faire in Advanced uses of faire.