Please follow and share on:

THE ITALIAN VERB “TO DO”: 5 WAYS YOU CAN USE IT (PRESENT)

The verb “fare” (to do) is one of the most important irregular verbs in Italian, along with the verbs “essere” (to be) and “avere” (to have).

We have so many expressions with this verb that sooner or later you’ll come across it anyway! However this verb is irregular so it’s conjugation is not that easy, but today we’ll only focus on the present tense.

To make the lesson more practical, I’ll also give you 5 ways to use the Italian verb “to do” to speak of different topics.

This is what we’ll cover in this lesson:

How to say to “do” in Italian
The present tense of the verb to “do”
5 common uses of “to do”

How to Say the Verb “to Do” in Italian

First of all let’s see how to say “to do” in Italian. “Fare” is the infinitive form, but you don’t really use it in conversations as you generally need the conjugated form.

In Italian, indeed, we have what’s called “coniugazione verbale” and it simply means that the verb must change accordingly with its subject. In other words, the verb form depends on who’s talking and of whom. For example, “I do” is “io faccio“, but “you do” becomes: “tu fai“.

It’s easier than it looks so keep reading to see how to conjugate “fare” in the present tense.

THE ITALIAN VERB “TO DO” (FARE): PRESENT TENSE

As already mentioned, you can’t use the infinitive form to speak with people.

If you do, you’ll make very hard for them to understand what you say.

So unfortunately there’s no other way but to conjugate this verb.

“To do” in Italian is an irregular verb, same as “essere” (to be) and “avere” (to have). This means that its conjugation doesn’t have a pattern so you’ll need to learn it as it is.

It’s actually not that complicated when you learn it in a practical way by using the verb in real contexts.

But let’s do one step at a time … first the boring part (the conjugation) and then the practical and funny one!

Conjugation of the verb “to do” (in Italian)

So this is how you conjugate “fare” in the present tense:

IO FACCIO
TU FAI
LUI/ LEI FA
NOI FACCIAMO
VOI FATE
LORO FANNO

Try to repeat it a few times but then practice using this verb in real situations.

So check out the next section to find out 5 common ways to use the Italian verb “fare” (to do).

5 WAYS TO USE THE ITALIAN VERB “TO DO” (FARE)

Okay that was a bit boring … let’s move on to the more practical part of this lesson which is how to use the verb “fare” (to do) in real life.

Here you are 5 common examples where you can use the verb “to do” in daily conversations.

#1 – To Tell about your Job

You can use the verb “to do” to tell people what you do for work.

The sentence you need to use is the below:

(IO) FACCIO + your job

So for example:

Io faccio l’insegnante = I’m a teacher
Tu fai l’avvocato = you’re a lawyer
Lei fa la commessa = she’s a sales assistant

#2 – To Say of your Actions

Another way you can use the verb “to do” in Italian is to say about something that you’re doing or an action.

So the structure of you sentence will be:

(IO) FACCIO + your action

Here you are some examples:

Io faccio una telefonata = I make a phone call
Voi fate colazione = you have breakfast
Loro fanno i compiti = they do their homework
Lui fa la doccia = he has a shower

#3 – With the meaning of “to make”

A third way to use the verb “to do” in Italian is with the meaning of making/prepare.

The structure of the sentence is always the same, so for instance:

(Io) faccio un disegno = I’m making a drawing
(Tu) fai una torta = you’re making a cake
(Lui) fa le valigie = to pack – The word “valigie” means luggages in English

#4 – To Give your Wishes

The next way you can use the verb “to do” in Italian is to give your wishes to someone.

Here the sentence is a little more complex: after the verb “fare”, you need to add your wishes along with the person that you’re congratulating.

(IO) FACCIO + your wishes + A + who you’re congratulating

Let’s see some examples:

(Io) faccio gli auguri a te = I give my wishes to you
(Tu) fai le congratulazioni agli sposi = you congratulate the newly married couple
(Lui) fa i complimenti alla fidanzata = he pays many compliments to his girlfriend

As you can see, you need the preposition “a” before the person that you’re congratulating.

Things get more complex when this preposition is in front of an article, like in the last two examples; however don’t worry about it for now as I’ll cover it in a separate lesson.

#5 – To Talk of an Event you’ll Host

Finally, “fare” is also used to say that you’re hosting a type of event such as a party, a dinner, a meeting and so on.

In Italian you say as per the following examples:

(Io) faccio una festa = I make a party
(Voi) fate una cena = I make a dinner
(Loro) fanno una riunione = I have a meeting

ITALIAN VERB “TO DO” (FARE)

Watch the Video!

The video format will help you remember more easily. It’s also a great way to check your pronunciation!

If you have any questions you can leave it in the comments 🙂

You can also read the following lessons: