Mastering Irregular Verbs in French A2: A Deep Dive into “Faire” and “Aller”

Meta Description: Learn how to conjugate and use the irregular verbs “faire” and “aller” in French. A comprehensive guide tailored for A2 learners with examples, French grammar tips, and common phrases.

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Introduction

As you advance to the A2 level of learning French, mastering irregular verbs becomes crucial to improving your communication skills. Two of the most commonly used verbs, “faire” (to do, to make) and “aller” (to go), are essential for everyday conversations but present unique challenges due to their irregular conjugation patterns. In this guide, we’ll explore the nuances of these irregular verbs, focusing on their various forms, common expressions, and how to use them effectively in sentences.

By the end of this article, you will have a solid understanding of how to conjugate and use “faire” and “aller” in different tenses, along with practical examples that will enhance your fluency.

Understanding Irregular Verbs in French A2: “Faire” and “Aller”

At the A2 level, students begin to explore more irregular verbs that don’t follow the standard conjugation patterns. While regular verbs fit into neat categories, irregular verbs like “faire” and “aller” break the mold. Let’s break down their meaning, conjugation, and use in various contexts.

The Verb “Faire” (To Do, To Make)

“Faire” is one of the most versatile verbs in the French language. It can mean both “to do” and “to make”, but it also appears in many idiomatic expressions, making it a verb that you’ll use frequently. Because of its irregular conjugation, it’s important to learn how to form this verb in the present, past, and future tenses.

Present Tense Conjugation of “Faire”

Here is how “faire” is conjugated in the present tense:

• Je fais – I do / I make
• Tu fais – You do / You make (informal)
• Il/Elle/On fait – He/She/One does / He/She/One makes
• Nous faisons – We do / We make
• Vous faites – You do / You make (formal/plural)
• Ils/Elles font – They do / They make

Notice that while je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles share similar forms, nous and vous have different endings that are unique to irregular verbs.

Example Sentences Using “Faire” in the Present Tense:

• Je fais mes devoirs tous les soirs.
  (I do my homework every evening.)
• Ils font du sport trois fois par semaine.
  (They exercise three times a week.)

Past Tense Conjugation of “Faire” (Passé Composé)

In the passé composé, “faire” takes avoir as the auxiliary verb and the past participle fait.

Here is how you form it:

• J’ai fait – I did / I made
• Tu as fait – You did / You made
• Il/Elle/On a fait – He/She/One did / made
• Nous avons fait – We did / We made
• Vous avez fait – You did / You made
• Ils/Elles ont fait – They did / made

Example Sentences Using “Faire” in the Passé Composé:

• Hier, nous avons fait une promenade dans le parc.
  (Yesterday, we took a walk in the park.)
• Elle a fait un gâteau pour son anniversaire.
  (She made a cake for her birthday.)

Future Tense Conjugation of “Faire” (Futur Simple)

In the futur simple, the verb “faire” is also irregular. Instead of using the full infinitive, the future stem for “faire” is fer-.

Here’s how it’s conjugated:

• Je ferai – I will do / I will make
• Tu feras – You will do / You will make
• Il/Elle/On fera – He/She/One will do / make
• Nous ferons – We will do / We will make
• Vous ferez – You will do / You will make
• Ils/Elles feront – They will do / They will make

Example Sentences Using “Faire” in the Future Tense:

• Demain, je ferai les courses.
  (Tomorrow, I will do the shopping.)
• Ils feront un voyage en France l’été prochain.
  (They will take a trip to France next summer.)

Common Expressions with “Faire”

“Faire” is commonly used in idiomatic expressions and set phrases, which can sometimes have meanings that go beyond just “to do” or “to make.”

Here are a few common expressions:

• Faire attention – To pay attention
• Faire la cuisine – To cook
• Faire du sport – To do sports
• Faire la fête – To party
• Faire le ménage – To do the housework

Example Sentences Using “Faire” in Expressions:

• Fais attention en traversant la rue.
  (Pay attention when crossing the street.)
• Ils font la cuisine ensemble tous les dimanches.
  (They cook together every Sunday.)

The Verb “Aller” (To Go)

The verb “aller” is another fundamental irregular verb in French. It means “to go”, and just like “faire,” it doesn’t follow the standard conjugation patterns of regular verbs.

Present Tense Conjugation of “Aller”

Here is the conjugation of “aller” in the present tense:

• Je vais – I go / I am going
• Tu vas – You go / You are going (informal)
• Il/Elle/On va – He/She/One goes / is going
• Nous allons – We go / We are going
• Vous allez – You go / You are going (formal/plural)
• Ils/Elles vont – They go / They are going

Example Sentences Using “Aller” in the Present Tense:

• Je vais à l’école en bus.
  (I go to school by bus.)
• Ils vont au cinéma ce soir.
  (They are going to the cinema tonight.)

Past Tense Conjugation of “Aller” (Passé Composé)

In the passé composé, “aller” takes être as the auxiliary verb and the past participle allé. Since “aller” uses être, the past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number.

Here’s how it’s conjugated:

• Je suis allé(e) – I went
• Tu es allé(e) – You went
• Il est allé / Elle est allée – He/She went
• Nous sommes allé(e)s – We went
• Vous êtes allé(e)(s) – You went
• Ils sont allés / Elles sont allées – They went

Example Sentences Using “Aller” in the Passé Composé:

• Nous sommes allés à la plage samedi dernier.
  (We went to the beach last Saturday.)
• Elle est allée chez le médecin hier.
  (She went to the doctor yesterday.)

Future Tense Conjugation of “Aller” (Futur Simple)

In the futur simple, “aller” is also irregular, and the future stem is ir-.

Here’s how it’s conjugated:

• J’irai – I will go
• Tu iras – You will go
• Il/Elle/On ira – He/She/One will go
• Nous irons – We will go
• Vous irez – You will go
• Ils/Elles iront – They will go

Example Sentences Using “Aller” in the Future Tense:

• J’irai à Paris l’année prochaine.
  (I will go to Paris next year.)
• Ils iront voir leurs amis ce week-end.
  (They will go to see their friends this weekend.)

Using “Aller” to Form the Near Future (Futur Proche)

One of the most common uses of “aller” is in the futur proche, a simple way to express something that is going to happen soon. This structure is formed by conjugating “aller” in the present tense followed by the infinitive of the main verb.

Structure:

• Aller (conjugated) + infinitive verb

Example Sentences Using the Futur Proche:

• Je vais manger dans 10 minutes.
  (I am going to eat in 10 minutes.)
• Nous allons visiter le musée demain.
  (We are going to visit the museum tomorrow.)

Practical Exercises for “Faire” and “Aller”

To fully grasp the irregular conjugations of “faire” and “aller,” it’s important to practice using these verbs in various tenses. Here are a few exercises to help solidify your understanding.

Fill-in-the-Blank Exercise

Complete the sentences using the correct form of “faire” or “aller”:

1. Demain, je _ (aller) chez mes grands-parents.
2. Ils _ (faire) leurs devoirs avant de sortir.
3. Nous _ (aller) au marché ce matin.
4. Il _ (faire) très chaud hier.
5. Vous _ (faire) un gâteau pour la fête ?

Sentence Transformation Exercise

Rewrite the following sentences in the futur simple and passé composé using the correct forms of “faire” and “aller”:

1. Je fais une promenade dans le parc. → (futur simple)
2. Ils vont au cinéma ce soir. → (passé composé)
3. Nous faisons la cuisine ensemble. → (futur simple)
4. Elle va à l’école tous les jours. → (passé composé)

Conclusion

Understanding and mastering the irregular verbs “faire” and “aller” is essential for becoming fluent in French. These two verbs are fundamental to expressing actions and movement in daily conversations. By practicing their conjugations in various tenses and applying them in different contexts, you’ll gain confidence and fluency.

As an A2 learner, don’t hesitate to revisit this guide as you progress, and continue practicing these verbs with exercises and real-life conversations. Mastering “faire” and “aller” will significantly enhance your ability to communicate effectively in French.

Now that you have a better grasp of irregular verbs, try using “faire” and “aller” in your next French conversation!