français · A2 · verb · 4 minutes
Faire in the passé composé
Use the irregular participle fait for completed activities and actions.
Understand the choice
Faire appears in hundreds of activity phrases, so its past form unlocks more than “did” and “made.” Keep the phrase together—faire une promenade, faire les courses, faire attention—and change only the auxiliary for the subject.
Core rule: Faire forms the passé composé with avoir + the irregular, normally invariable past participle fait.
Notice it in context
Ils ont fait une promenade après le déjeuner.
They took a walk after lunch.
Ont marks third-person plural; fait stays unchanged before une promenade.
Qu’est-ce que vous avez fait hier ?
What did you do yesterday?
Avez carries the subject; fait is the fixed participle.
J’ai fait les courses avant de rentrer.
I did the shopping before going home.
Faire les courses is a fixed activity phrase; avant de precedes the infinitive.
What to remember
- Fait is also a noun meaning fact and an adjective meaning done; structure identifies the past participle.
- The final t in fait is normally silent in this verb form.
Common trap: Do not use the regular-looking faisé. The past participle is fait.