italiano · B1 · verb · 4 minutes
Fare in the imperfetto
Describe habitual activities and past weather with facev-.
Understand the choice
Fare in the imperfect supports human routines and impersonal weather. Context distinguishes did/made from faceva caldo, freddo, or bel tempo.
Core rule: Fare uses the imperfect stem facev- plus regular endings.
Notice it in context
D’estate facevamo gite quando faceva bel tempo.
In summer we took trips when the weather was nice.
Facevamo names a repeated activity; faceva bel tempo supplies its background condition.
Facevo la cena mentre lui apparecchiava.
I was making dinner while he set the table.
Mentre coordinates two ongoing actions.
Faceva freddo, quindi i bambini sono rientrati.
It was cold, so the children went back inside.
Imperfect weather causes a completed event.
What to remember
- Facevamo has one c and preserves the soft sound before e.
- Fare una gita means take an outing/day trip.
Common trap: Do not form facciavo. The imperfect stem is facev-.