Italian 4.4. Expressions Using “Avere” & “Fare”

In this lesson, we will learn some expressions using “avere” (to have) and “fare” (to do or to make) that are common in Italian.

Some expressions in Italian do not make sense if literally translated into English. For example, the expression “dare un esame,” meaning “to take an exam,” uses the verb “dare” (to give) rather than “prendere” (to take). The verbs “avere” (to have) and “fare” (to do or to make) are very common in Italian and are used in many expressions.

1. Expressions using “Avere”

In addition to the obvious use of “avere” to indicate possession, e.g., “Ho due gatti” (I have two cats), there are some less obvious uses of the verb “avere” in Italian.

Age

In English, we use the verb “to be” to describe age, as in “how old are you?” and “I am 30 years old.”

The verb “avere” is used in Italian instead; that is, we literally say, “I have 30 years old” rather than, “I am 30 years old.” Here are a few more examples:

Quanti anni hai?	How old are you?
Ho 40 anni.	I am 40 years old.
Lui ha 20 anni.	He is 20 years old.

Feelings & Desires

Some expressions in Italian describe a feeling or desire using the verb “avere,” while their equivalents in English use the verb “to be,” e.g., “Ho paura” (I am afraid). The word “paura” means “fear.” Thus, we literally say, “I have fear.”

Some other examples include:

avere fame	to be hungry	avere sete	to be thirsty
avere freddo	to be cold	avere caldo	to be hot
avere sonno	to be sleepy	avere allergie	to be allergic

Other Expressions

Finally, there are many other idioms and expressions that use the verb “avere.” One common expression is “Ha senso,” which means “It makes sense.”

Some other expressions include:

avere ragione	to be right	avere torto	to be wrong
avere successo	to be successful	avere luogo	to take place
avere fretta	to be in a hurry	avere fortuna	to be lucky
avere inizio	to begin	avere la parola	to have the floor
avere a che fare con	to have to do with	avere da fare	to be busy
avere dolore	to have pain	avere bisogno di	to need

2. Expressions using “Fare”

There are many expressions that use the verb “fare” (to do or to make) in Italian, when similar expressions in English would not. We have encountered the verb “fare” used with weather expressions in Level III, Lesson 7, e.g., “fa freddo” (It is cold). Similarly, the verb “fare” in “Il tè fa bene/male” simply replaces the verb “to be” to mean: “The tea is good/bad.”

Let us examine some other expressions that use the verb “fare.”

Sports & Hobbies

In general, we use the verb “fare” when referring to sports and hobbies.

Here are some examples:

fare sport	to play sports	fare ginnastica	to exercise
fare una corsa	to go for a run	fare una passeggiata	to take a walk
fare surf	to do surfing	fare snowboard	to snowboard
fare ciclismo	to go cycling	fare yoga	to do yoga

House Chores & Daily Tasks

The verb “fare” is also used with many house chores and day-to-day tasks. Examples include:

fare i compiti	to do homework	fare il bucato	to do laundry
fare il letto	to make the bed	fare una telefonata	to make a call
fare la spesa	to buy groceries	fare il pieno	to fill up on gas
fare le faccende	to do the chores	fare spese	to go shopping
fare colazione	to have breakfast	fare le pulizie	to do the cleaning
fare la doccia	to take a shower	fare il bagno	to take a bath

Other Expressions

There are many other idioms and expressions that use the verb “fare” that do not fall under any of the aforementioned categories, such as:

fare la fila fare la coda	to wait in line	fare in tempo	to do something in time
fare presto	to be early	fare tardi	to be late
fare una domanda	to ask a question	fare una pausa	to take a break
fare male	to hurt or to be painful	fare una foto	to take a photo
fare da sé	to do on your own	fai da te	DIY
fare di tutto	to do everything possible	fare un pisolino	to take a nap

Finally, the verb “fare” can be used in many causative expressions meaning “to have someone do something.” For example:

fare vedere a qualcuno	to have someone see (to show someone)
fare cucinare a qualcuno	to have someone cook

Next: Present Subjunctive Tense I

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