Whether you need to conjugate the verb faire in casual conversation or understand its more advanced grammatical features (from faire imparfait to faire in subjunctive), learning how to use faire is indispensable for any French learner. As both “to do” and “to make,” faire in French covers a broad spectrum of everyday expressions and idiomatic phrases.

Below, we’ll address nine important questions about Faire, delve into the past participle, examine its perfect tense usage, and more. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a robust understanding of conjugation for faire––from present to faire passe compose––and feel confident using this essential verb in all its forms.

1) What Does the Verb Faire Mean?

In French, faire means both “to do” and “to make.” You can talk about creating something (faire un gâteau = to make a cake) or performing an action (faire la vaisselle = to do the dishes). Because of this dual meaning, faire surfaces in a wide array of daily conversations, from basic chores like faire son lit (to make one’s bed) to more figurative expressions like faire l’imbécile (to act the fool) or faire l’idiot (to act silly).

2) How Do You Use Fait in French?

When you see fait French in a sentence, it typically denotes a conjugated form of faire or the past participle used in various tenses. For example:

• Present tense (Il fait): Il fait la cuisine. (He does the cooking.)
• Passé Composé (J’ai fait): J’ai fait semblant de comprendre. (I pretended to understand.)

Fait can indicate a completed action or an ongoing habit, depending on the tense. Mastering these nuances is key to expressing yourself accurately, whether you want to say faire des histoires (to stir up trouble) or faire une bonne impression (to make a good impression).

3) Is Faire Irregular in Passé Composé?

Yes. When it comes to faire passe compose, faire is considered irregular because its past participle does not follow a regular -er / -ir / -re pattern. Instead, you use fait with the auxiliary avoir:

• J’ai fait (I did / I made)
• Nous avons fait (We did / We made)

Though irregular, it is straightforward compared to some other French verbs because you only need to memorize that the past participle of faire is fait.

4) What Is the Passé Participle of Faire?

The past participle of faire is fait. This short, simple form shows up in the perfect tenses (e.g., passé composé, plus-que-parfait, etc.) and is critical to expressing past or completed actions.

Example (Passé Composé):

• Elle a fait des émules avec son nouveau concept. (She inspired many imitators with her new concept.)

5) Is Fait Être or Avoir?

Fait is always used with the auxiliary avoir in compound tenses for faire. Some French verbs (like aller, sortir, etc.) require être, but faire takes avoir in tenses like passé composé:

• J’ai fait taire les enfants. (I made the children quiet.)

Hence, Is Fait Être or Avoir? The answer: avoir.

6) What Tense Is Fait French?

This question often arises when learners see fait in a sentence and wonder which tense they’re dealing with. Fait can be:

• Present tense (3rd person singular): Il fait du bruit. (He is making noise.)
• Past participle: J’ai fait. (I did / I made.)

When you spot fait without a preceding auxiliary verb (avoir), it typically belongs to the present tense form for “il/elle/on.” If you see fait after avoir, it indicates the past participle in the passé composé or another compound tense.

7) What Is the Past Participle of French Verbs?

In French, many verbs follow regular patterns for their past participles:

• -er verbs → -é (manger → mangé)
• -ir verbs → -i (finir → fini)
• -re verbs → -u (vendre → vendu)

Faire is one of the irregular verbs, so its past participle deviates from these regular endings. As stated, faire → fait, which is why faire is considered an irregular verb.

8) What Is the Plural of Faire?

Technically, the verb faire itself does not have a “plural” in the sense that nouns do. Instead, you look at the conjugation when subject pronouns are plural:

1. Nous faisons (We do / We make)
2. Vous faites (You do / You make) – formal or plural
3. Ils/Elles font (They do / They make)

So, what is the plural of faire? The short answer: it depends on the subject pronoun, but the verb’s form changes to faisons, faites, or font in the present tense.

9) What Is Faire in Perfect Tense?

When referring to the perfect tense in French, you are typically talking about the passé composé. Faire in perfect tense (passé composé) is formed with the auxiliary avoir + fait:

• J’ai fait (I have done / I did)
• Nous avons fait (We have done / We did)

This structure equally applies to stating completed actions in the past, whether it happened once or multiple times, as long as the faire action is finished.

Conjugation for Faire: All Tenses at a Glance

To conjugate the verb faire fully, you need to memorize its irregular forms in each tense. Here’s a concise reference, including examples such as faire des histoires (to make trouble) or faire avancer un projet (to move a project forward).

Present Tense

• Je fais (Je fais la vaisselle, je fais l’imbécile)
• Tu fais (Tu fais la cuisine, tu fais le repassage)
• Il/Elle/On fait (Il fait son lit, elle fait l’idiot, on fait du bruit)
• Nous faisons (Nous faisons des histoires, nous faisons avancer un projet)
• Vous faites (Vous faites semblant, vous faites une bonne impression)
• Ils/Elles font (Ils font des émules, elles font carrière dans le digital)

Passé Composé (Perfect Tense / faire passe compose)

• J’ai fait
• Tu as fait
• Il/Elle/On a fait
• Nous avons fait
• Vous avez fait
• Ils/Elles ont fait

Imparfait (faire imparfait)

• Je faisais
• Tu faisais
• Il/Elle/On faisait
• Nous faisions
• Vous faisiez
• Ils/Elles faisaient

Future Simple

• Je ferai
• Tu feras
• Il/Elle/On fera
• Nous ferons
• Vous ferez
• Ils/Elles feront

Conditional

• Je ferais
• Tu ferais
• Il/Elle/On ferait
• Nous ferions
• Vous feriez
• Ils/Elles feraient

Subjunctive (faire in subjunctive)

• Que je fasse
• Que tu fasses
• Qu’il/elle/on fasse
• Que nous fassions
• Que vous fassiez
• Qu’ils/elles fassent

Imperative

• (Tu) Fais ! (Fais la vaisselle ! Fais ton lit !)
• (Nous) Faisons ! (Faisons semblant ! Faisons la cuisine !)
• (Vous) Faites ! (Faites des histoires ! Faites taire les enfants !)

Recap: Why Learn the Conjugation Faire in French?

1. Core Utility: Faire in French is one of the most versatile verbs, covering both “to do” and “to make.”
2. Cultural Essential: From faire la vaisselle (to do the dishes) to faire des émules (to inspire imitators), it’s everywhere in French daily life.
3. Irregular but Straightforward: Though irregular, faire is simpler than some advanced verbs because its past participle of faire is consistently fait, always with avoir for compound tenses.

Whether you faire la cuisine (cook), faire le repassage (iron clothes), or faire taire les enfants (make the children quiet), a solid grasp of each faire imparfait, faire passe compose, and faire in subjunctive form will help you convey any action or creation in French.

Beyond Grammar: Engaging with French Culture

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