Andare & Fare: Present Tense Irregulars

What Makes a Verb "Irregular"?

You've already learned the patterns for regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs. You know that to conjugate them, you take the stem and add a specific ending for each subject (io, tu, lui/lei, etc.).

However, some of the most common verbs don't follow these rules. They are called irregular verbs, and their conjugations can be quite different from the standard patterns. Fare and andare are two prime examples. While they technically end in -are, their stems change in unpredictable ways. The only way to learn them is to memorize their specific forms.

To get a quick overview of this concept and to hear the conjugations we're about to learn, watch this brief video clip.

Now, let's look at each verb in detail.

The Verb Fare: To Do or To Make

One of the first things to know is that Italian uses fare for both "to do" and "to make." This simplifies things, as you only need to learn one verb for both actions. You've already used it for weather (Che tempo fa?), and now you'll see how it's used for everything from daily chores to asking someone what their job is.

For a clear breakdown of fare, please read the first section of the following article. It provides a clean conjugation table with phonetic spellings and some great examples.

Here are the conjugations for fare in the present tense:

Notice how the beginning of the verb changes: from facc- to fa-. This is what makes it irregular.

To see fare used in a variety of common, natural expressions, let's watch a video made by native speakers.

Here are a few useful phrases using fare:

• Cosa fai stasera? - What are you doing tonight?
• Faccio colazione. - I'm having breakfast. (Literally: "I make breakfast")
• Facciamo una passeggiata. - We're taking a walk. / Let's take a walk.
• Che lavoro fa? - What work do you do? (Formal)

The Verb Andare: To Go

Just like fare, andare is fundamental for daily conversation, especially when making plans or talking about travel—central to your goals.

Let's return to the same article to see its conjugation.

Here is the conjugation table for andare:

Here, the irregularity is even more striking. The forms for io, tu, lui/lei, and loro start with a "v-"! Only noi and voi retain the original "and-" stem. This is a common pattern in Italian irregular verbs, where the noi and voi forms are often regular.

Some essential phrases with andare:

• Dove vai? - Where are you going?
• Vado a casa. - I'm going home.
• Andiamo al cinema? - Shall we go to the cinema?
• Come va? - How's it going?
• Va bene. - Okay / That's fine. (Literally: "It goes well")

Fare and Andare in Conversation

Now that you've seen the individual forms, let's see how they work together in a natural conversation. This is where your inductive learning preference comes into play: seeing the language in action.

The article we've been using has a fantastic dialogue that uses many of the forms we've just learned.

Reading and understanding that dialogue is an excellent exercise. It shows you exactly how these verbs pop up constantly when making simple plans with friends.

Conclusion

Eccellente! You have now learned the present tense conjugations for two of the most fundamental verbs in Italian. This is a huge step.

Key Takeaways:

• Irregular verbs like fare and andare don't follow standard patterns and must be memorized.
• Fare (to do/make): faccio, fai, fa, facciamo, fate, fanno.
• Andare (to go): vado, vai, va, andiamo, andate, vanno.
• The noi and voi forms of these verbs often look more "regular" than the others.
• These verbs are essential for discussing actions, hobbies, and plans.

In our next lesson, we will build directly on today's topic. We will learn how to use the structure andare a + infinitive to talk about things you are going to do in the near future (e.g., Vado a mangiare - I'm going to eat). This is a very common way to discuss plans, and you've already mastered the first part!

A presto