Faire — to do, to make, and the weather

CEFR A1Taught in Module 06, Le temps et les loisirs

Assumes you already have

Subject pronouns (je, tu, il...)

Faire is irregular and extremely common. It covers "do" and "make", and it is also how French talks about the weather.

SubjectFormExample
jefaisJe fais du sport. (I do sport.)
tufaisTu fais quoi ? (What are you doing?)
il / ellefaitIl fait beau. (The weather is nice.)
nousfaisonsNous faisons les courses. (We're doing the shopping.)
vousfaitesVous faites du vélo ? (Do you cycle?)
ils / ellesfontElles font la cuisine. (They're cooking.)

For weather, French uses il fait where English uses "it is": "Il fait chaud." (It's hot.) · "Il fait froid." (It's cold.) · "Il fait beau." (It's fine.)

Note vous faites, not faisez — one of only a handful of verbs with this ending.

Knowing the rule is not the same as producing it.

This page explains the pattern. The track drills it: the point arrives inside a mini-dialogue, then production marked against a CEFR descriptor, then a module test that returns you to your two weakest sessions if you miss it.