Fazer

Fazer is a core verb in Portuguese, meaning to do or to make. It is highly versatile and appears in a wide range of contexts, from performing an action or task to producing a product or forming a plan. In many expressions, it covers both the act of performing and the result of that action, making it one of the most frequently used verbs in the language.

Etymology: The verb derives from Latin facere, related to the English “facere” and cognate with Spanish hacer and French faire. This lineage explains the broad semantic range and the irregularity patterns across tenses.

Conjugation: Fazer is irregular. Present indicative forms include eu faço, tu fazes, ele faz, nós fazemos, vós fazeis, eles fazem. The preterite is eu fiz, tu fizeste, ele fez, nós fizemos, vós fizestes, eles fizeram; imperfect eu fazia, tu fazias, ele fazia, nós fazíamos, vós fazíeis, eles faziam; future eu farei, tu farás, ele fará, nós faremos, vós fareis, eles farão. Subjunctive present: que eu faça, que tu faças, que ele faça, que nós façamos, que vós façais, que eles façam. Imperative forms include faz (tu), faça (você), façamos (nós), fazei (vós), façam (vocês).

Usage: In Portuguese, fazer governs a variety of constructions to indicate action, intention, or production. It is used to form phrases like vou fazer (I will do/make), eu fiz o jantar (I made dinner), and in idioms such as fazer de conta (to pretend), fazer as pazes (to make peace), or fazer bem (to do good). The verb often replaces do or make in idiomatic expressions, reflecting its multifunctional role in the language.