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Expressions with 'hacer'

The Spanish verb hacer translates to "to do" or "to make". However, Spanish relies on hacer for dozens of common expressions where English uses entirely different verbs. When you want to ask a question, wait in a line, or pack a suitcase, you will need to use hacer.

Instead of trying to translate English verbs directly, it is best to learn these hacer combinations as set phrases. If you translate word for word, you might invent verbs that sound completely unnatural to a Spanish speaker.

Word list
hacer una preguntaA1 to ask hacer una pregunta = to ask a question hacer dañoA2 to hurt me hace daño = it hurts me hacer casoB1 to listen hacer caso a = to pay attention to hacer clicB1 to click hacer clic en = to click on hacer ejercicioB1 to work out hacer ejercicio = to work out hacer la coladaB1 to do the laundry hacer la colada = to do the laundry hacer la compraB1 to do the shopping hacer la compra = to do the shopping hacer las comprasB1 to do the shopping hacer las compras = to do the shopping hacer pedazosB1 to tear hizo pedazos la carta = he tore up the letter hacer publicidadB1 to advertise hacer publicidad = to advertise hacer senderismoB1 to hike hacer senderismo = to hike hacer turismoB1 to go sightseeing hacer turismo = to go sightseeing hacer una fotoB1 to take a photo hacer una foto = to take a photo hacer autostopB2 to hitchhike hacer autostop = to hitchhike hacer calentamientoB2 to warm up hacer calentamiento = to warm up hacer colaB2 to queue hacer cola = to wait in line hacer de cuentaB2 to pretend hagamos de cuenta que no pasó = let's pretend it didn't happen hacer dedoB2 to hitchhike hacer dedo = to hitchhike hacer estiramientosB2 to stretch hacer estiramientos = to stretch hacer excursionismoB2 to hike hacer excursionismo = to hike hacer filaB2 to queue hacer fila = to wait in line hacer fronteraB2 to border Francia hace frontera con Italia = France borders Italy hacer hincapié enB2 to emphasize hizo hincapié en la seguridad = he stressed safety hacer malabaresB2 to juggle hacer malabares = to juggle hacer realidadB2 to realize hacer realidad = to realize hacer surfB2 to surf hacer surf = to surf hacer trampaB2 to cheat hacer trampa en = to cheat on no hacer casoB2 to ignore no hacer caso = to ignore hacer buenas migasC1 to get along hace buenas migas con todos = gets on with everyone hacer campañaC1 to campaign hacer campaña = to campaign hacer caso omisoC1 to ignore hacer caso omiso = to ignore hacer cosquillasC1 to tickle hacer cosquillas a alguien = to tickle someone hacer frente aC1 to stand up to hacer frente a alguien = to stand up to someone hacer cuacC2 to quack el pato hace cuac = the duck quacks hacer la guerraC2 to wage war hacer la guerra = to wage war
Everyday actions

In English, you "ask" a question and "take" a photo. In Spanish, you "make" them. Using hacer una pregunta is the natural way to ask a question. For taking photos, hacer una foto is common in Spain, though you will also hear tomar una foto or sacar una foto in Latin America.

Tengo que hacerte una pregunta.
(I have to ask you a question.)
¿Me haces una foto con la catedral?
(Will you take a photo of me with the cathedral?)

Similarly, if something hurts or causes pain, you use hacer daño. If you want someone to listen to your advice or pay attention to you, use hacer caso. To ignore someone is no hacer caso or the formal expression hacer caso omiso.

Estos zapatos me hacen daño.
(These shoes hurt me.)
El niño no hace caso a su madre.
(The boy ignores his mother.)
Activities and hobbies

English often has a single specific verb for an activity, like "to hike", "to cheat", or "to click". Spanish frequently expresses these by pairing hacer with a noun. This happens with sports and movement, such as hacer ejercicio, hacer senderismo (to hike), or hacer calentamiento (to warm up).

Vamos a hacer turismo por el centro.
(We are going to go sightseeing downtown.)
Ellos hacen trampa en el juego.
(They cheat in the game.)

This pattern also applies to everyday routines and modern technology. You will see it in phrases like hacer la compra (to go grocery shopping), hacer la colada (to do the laundry), and hacer clic (to click a computer mouse).

Tienes que hacer clic en el enlace.
(You have to click on the link.)
Visual and idiomatic expressions

Some hacer expressions paint a literal picture. To wait in line is hacer cola or hacer fila, which literally means "to make a tail" or "to make a line". To hitchhike is hacer autostop, but colloquially people say hacer dedo ("to make finger").

Llevamos una hora haciendo cola.
(We have been waiting in line for an hour.)
Hicimos dedo para llegar a la playa.
(We hitchhiked to get to the beach.)

Even a physical sensation like tickling is expressed as "making tickles", which is hacer cosquillas. You will also see this pattern when packing luggage, known as hacer la maleta, or making noise, which translates to hacer ruido.

Deja de hacerme cosquillas.
(Stop tickling me.)
Summary

The verb hacer is incredibly flexible. Whenever you learn how to describe an action or activity in Spanish, pay attention to the verb used. You will often find that Spanish "makes" or "does" an action instead of using a unique single-word verb like English.