Aller, Faire, Venir: The Three Most Common Irregular Verbs
Getting Started — Why Learn These Three Verbs First?
-ER, -IR and -RE verbs follow regular patterns. But some of French’s most frequently used verbs are irregular — each with its own pattern. aller (to go), faire (to do/make), and venir (to come) are, after être/avoir, the three most commonly used verbs in everyday conversation.
Connection: If you’ve already read Être and Avoir, you already know that irregular verbs each have their own pattern that has to be memorized.
ALLER (to go)
| Subject | Form | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | vais | vay | I go |
| tu | vas | vah | You go (informal) |
| il/elle | va | vah | He/she goes |
| nous | allons | ah-lon | We go |
| vous | allez | ah-lay | You go (formal/plural) |
| ils/elles | vont | von | They go |
Note: For je/tu/il/elle, the stem changes completely (v-), but for nous/vous, the ‘all-’ stem comes back — that’s just the nature of irregular verbs.
- “Je vais à l’école.” → I go to school.
- “Tu vas au marché?” → Are you going to the market?
- “Nous allons au Canada.” → We are going to Canada.
FAIRE (to do / to make)
| Subject | Form | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | fais | fay | I do / make |
| tu | fais | fay | You do / make (informal) |
| il/elle | fait | fay | He/she does / makes |
| nous | faisons | fuh-zon | We do / make |
| vous | faites | fet | You do / make (formal/plural) |
| ils/elles | font | fon | They do / make |
Note: ‘nous faisons’ is pronounced ‘fuh-zon’, not ‘fay-zon’ — a notable exception in French. ‘vous faites’ is also irregular — not ‘faisez’.
- “Je fais mes devoirs.” → I do my homework.
- “Il fait beau aujourd’hui.” → The weather is nice today. (weather expression)
- “Vous faites du sport?” → Do you play sports?
VENIR (to come)
| Subject | Form | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | viens | vyen | I come |
| tu | viens | vyen | You come (informal) |
| il/elle | vient | vyen | He/she comes |
| nous | venons | vuh-non | We come |
| vous | venez | vuh-nay | You come (formal/plural) |
| ils/elles | viennent | vyen | They come |
Note: je/tu/il/elle and ils/elles all use the ‘vien-’ stem (though ils/elles doubles the ‘n’ — viennent), while nous/vous fall back to the ‘ven-’ stem.
- “Je viens de Montréal.” → I come from Montreal.
- “Tu viens avec nous?” → Are you coming with us?
- “Ils viennent demain.” → They are coming tomorrow.
Aller vs. Venir — The Direction Difference
| Aller (to go — moving away) | Venir (to come — moving closer) |
|---|---|
| Je vais au travail. (I’m going to work.) | Je viens du travail. (I’m coming from work.) |
| Tu vas où? (Where are you going?) | Tu viens d’où? (Where do you come from?) |
Real Examples
1. About Yourself
- “Je vais au bureau tous les jours.” → I go to the office every day.
- “Je fais la cuisine ce soir.” → I’m cooking tonight.
- “Je viens du Pendjab.” → I come from Punjab.
2. Ask About Others
- “Tu vas bien?” → Are you well? (a common greeting)
- “Qu’est-ce que tu fais?” → What are you doing?
- “Vous venez d’où?” → Where do you come from? (formal)
3. In Groups
- “Nous allons ensemble au cinéma.” → We’re going to the cinema together.
- “Vous faites quoi ce week-end?” → What are you doing this weekend?
- “Ils viennent nous voir dimanche.” → They’re coming to see us on Sunday.
Conjugation Practice — For Mastery
Exercise: Complete the Sentences
-
“Je _____ (aller) à la banque.” → Answer: Je vais à la banque.
-
“Nous _____ (faire) les courses.” → Answer: Nous faisons les courses.
-
“Elle _____ (venir) avec sa famille.” → Answer: Elle vient avec sa famille.
-
“Vous _____ (aller) où ce soir?” → Answer: Vous allez où ce soir?
-
“Ils _____ (faire) attention.” → Answer: Ils font attention.
-
“Tu _____ (venir) demain?” → Answer: Tu viens demain?
Common Mistakes and Fixes
| ❌ Wrong | ✓ Right | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Je allons | Je vais | ‘je’ takes ‘vais’; ‘allons’ is only for nous |
| Nous faisez | Nous faisons | ‘vous faites’ is different — don’t mix them up |
| Il viens | Il vient | il/elle takes ‘vient’ (t), je/tu take ‘viens’ (s) |
| Vous allont | Vous allez | ‘ils vont’ and ‘vous allez’ are different |
Moving Forward
Today’s takeaway: Knowing aller, faire, venir lets you build thousands of everyday sentences. Remember: in Futur Proche, ‘aller + infinitive’ is used for the future — now you understand how ‘aller’ itself conjugates. Next, we’ll learn vouloir, pouvoir, devoir (modal verbs) — essential for requests and politeness.
Your challenge: Every day, conjugate 5 verbs with aller, faire, venir. Memorize each pattern separately — there’s no shortcut.
FAQ
Is 'aller' only used for futur proche?
No. In [Futur Proche](/en/lessons/futur-proche-aller-infinitive/), 'aller + infinitive' is used for the future (Je vais manger = I am going to eat), but 'aller' by itself simply means 'to go' (Je vais à l'école = I go to school). This lesson shows both uses.
Does 'faire' always mean 'to do'?
No. 'Faire' has two meanings — 'to do' (Je fais mes devoirs = I do my homework) and 'to make' (Je fais un gâteau = I make a cake). It also appears in many fixed expressions: faire du sport, faire attention, faire beau (weather).
What's the difference between 'venir' and 'aller'?
'Aller' = to go (moving away). 'Venir' = to come (moving closer). 'Je vais chez toi' = I'm going to your place. 'Tu viens chez moi?' = Are you coming to my place? Both are irregular but conjugate on different patterns.
Why are these three verbs called 'irregular'?
Because they don't follow the regular -ER, -IR, -RE patterns — each has its own stem change (vais/vas/va, fais/fait, viens/vient). There's no shortcut; they simply have to be memorized.