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Using 'fare' for everyday activities

When talking about daily routines, English relies heavily on verbs like take, have, go, and ask. You might take a shower, have breakfast, go for a walk, or ask a question. In Italian, attempting to translate these verbs directly usually results in awkward or incorrect sentences.

Instead, Italian relies on the highly versatile verb fare (to do or to make) combined with a noun. These combinations are essentially set phrases. Learning to use fare instead of reaching for a literal translation is one of the biggest steps toward sounding like a natural Italian speaker.

Word list
fare una domandaA1 to ask indefinite article fare attenzioneA2 to take care no article fare colazioneA2 to have breakfast no article fare il bagnoA2 to bathe definite article fare la docciaA2 to shower definite article fare un bagnoA2 to bathe indefinite article fare una docciaA2 to shower indefinite article farsi il bagnoA2 to bathe reflexive variant farsi la docciaA2 to shower reflexive variant farsi un bagnoA2 to bathe reflexive variant farsi una docciaA2 to shower reflexive variant fare acquistiB1 to shop no article, plural noun fare attenzioneB1 to pay attention no article fare esercizioB1 to work out no article, often fare esercizio fisico fare ginnasticaB1 to work out no article fare i piattiB1 to do the dishes definite article, plural noun fare il bucatoB1 to do the laundry definite article fare il riscaldamentoB1 to warm up definite article, also without fare la spesaB1 to do the shopping definite article, only for necessities like food fare shoppingB1 to shop no article, for non-necessities like clothes fare un giro turisticoB1 to go sightseeing indefinite article fare un'escursioneB1 to hike indefinite article fare una fotoB1 to take a photo indefinite article fare una passeggiataB1 to take a walk indefinite article fare l'autostopB2 to hitchhike definite article fare la codaB2 to queue definite article fare la filaB2 to queue definite article fare marcia indietroB2 to reverse no article: fare marcia indietro, also figurative (to back down) fare retromarciaB2 to reverse no article: ho fatto retromarcia nel parcheggio (I reversed) fare surfB2 to surf no article fare un pisolinoB2 to take a nap indefinite article fare un sonnellinoB2 to take a nap indefinite article
Having and Taking

When English speakers talk about meals, hygiene, or quick breaks, they usually use have or take. In Italian, these are classic fare expressions. For example, you do not use the verb avere to talk about eating breakfast, nor do you use prendere to talk about taking a nap.

Di solito faccio colazione alle otto.
(I usually have breakfast at eight.)
Mio nonno ama fare un pisolino dopo pranzo.
(My grandfather loves to take a nap after lunch.)
Possiamo fare una foto davanti alla cattedrale?
(Can we take a photo in front of the cathedral?)

When talking about washing up, you can use fare la doccia (to take a shower) or fare il bagno (to take a bath). Often, Italians use the reflexive forms farsi la doccia and farsi il bagno to emphasize that they are doing the action for their own personal care.

Stasera mi faccio una doccia rilassante.
(Tonight I will take a relaxing shower.)
Going and Doing

English speakers go on errands or outings, while Italians build these concepts with fare. A perfect example is the difference between going grocery shopping and shopping for fun.

You use fare la spesa exclusively for buying household necessities like food. When you want to buy clothes or look around shops, you use fare shopping.

Oggi il frigorifero è vuoto, devo fare la spesa.
(Today the fridge is empty, I need to do the grocery shopping.)
Sabato facciamo una passeggiata nel centro storico.
(On Saturday we are taking a walk in the historic center.)

Other outings like taking a hike (fare un'escursione) or going sightseeing (fare un giro turistico) follow the exact same pattern.

Articles Matter

When memorizing these expressions, it is highly recommended to learn the article as part of the phrase. The choice of article, or the lack of it, is fixed for each expression.

No article

fare colazione (to have breakfast), fare attenzione (to pay attention), fare shopping (to go shopping).

Definite article

fare la spesa (to do the grocery shopping), fare la doccia (to take a shower).

Indefinite article

fare una passeggiata (to take a walk), fare una domanda (to ask a question).

Scusa, ti posso fare una domanda?
(Excuse me, can I ask you a question?)
Dovete fare attenzione quando attraversate la strada.
(You all must pay attention when crossing the street.)
Summary

For many everyday routines where English uses take, have, go, or ask, Italian simply pairs the verb fare with a noun. Treat these combinations as single blocks of vocabulary, and always memorize whether the expression uses a definite article, an indefinite article, or no article at all.