1. The Phrase “Il fait”
A. Expressing Weather Conditions
In French, “il fait” is commonly used to describe the weather. Unlike English, which often uses “it is” (e.g., It is hot), French uses “il fait”, where “il” is an impersonal subject that doesn’t refer to anything specific.
✅ Examples:
- Il fait chaud. → It is hot. 🔥
- Il fait froid. → It is cold. ❄️
- Il fait beau. → The weather is nice. ☀️
- Il fait mauvais. → The weather is bad. 🌧️
📌 Note: Some weather expressions use different verbs:
- Il pleut. → It is raining. ☔
- Il neige. → It is snowing. ❄️
B. Expressing Conditions and General States
“Il fait” can also describe how something feels or general environmental conditions.
✅ Examples:
- Il fait sombre. → It is dark. 🌑
- Il fait bon aujourd’hui. → It is pleasant today. 🌤️
C. Idiomatic Expressions with “Faire”
“Il fait” appears in many common French expressions with the verb faire (to do/make).
✅ Examples:
- Il fait du bruit. → He/It makes noise. 🔊
- Il fait du sport. → He exercises. 🏋️♂️
- Il fait la cuisine. → He cooks. 👨🍳
D. Talking About Time
“Il fait” can also express how much time has passed, though this is less common.
✅ Example:
- Il fait deux heures que j’attends. → I have been waiting for two hours. ⏳
2. The Phrase “Il faut”
A. Expressing Necessity or Obligation
“Il faut” is an impersonal phrase that means “it is necessary” or “one must” in English. It expresses a general rule or obligation.
✅ Examples:
- Il faut travailler pour réussir. → One must work to succeed.
- Il faut étudier pour apprendre. → You have to study to learn.
- Il faut partir maintenant. → It is necessary to leave now.
📌 Note: Unlike devoir (which means “must” but is conjugated for different subjects), “il faut” is always impersonal.
B. “Il faut” + a Noun
“Il faut” can be followed by a noun to indicate that something is needed.
✅ Examples:
- Il faut de la patience. → Patience is needed.
- Il faut un passeport pour voyager. → A passport is necessary to travel.
- Il faut du courage pour parler en public. → Courage is needed to speak in public.
📌 Note: When il faut is followed by a noun, “de” is often used if the noun is abstract or uncountable.
C. “Il faut que” + Subjunctive
When followed by “que”, “il faut” introduces a clause that uses the subjunctive mood. This structure expresses a necessity or obligation for a specific person or group.
✅ Examples:
- Il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs. → You must do your homework.
- Il faut qu’on parte maintenant. → We must leave now.
- Il faut que vous soyez prudents. → You must be careful.
📌 Important: The subjunctive is required because il faut que expresses a subjective necessity.
D. “Il ne faut pas” (Expressing Prohibition)
To express what should not be done, use “il ne faut pas” (negative form).
✅ Examples:
- Il ne faut pas courir dans les couloirs. → You must not run in the hallways.
- Il ne faut pas être en retard. → One must not be late.
- Il ne faut pas que tu oublies ton passeport. → You must not forget your passport.
E. “Il fallait” (Past Tense)
To express necessity in the past, use the imperfect tense (fallait).
✅ Examples:
- Il fallait arriver tôt. → It was necessary to arrive early.
- Il fallait que nous étudiions beaucoup. → We had to study a lot.
F. Alternative Expressions
Instead of il faut, you can use these expressions for obligation or necessity:
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Devoir + infinitive | Must / Have to | Tu dois partir maintenant. (You must leave now.) |
| Être obligé de | Be obliged to | Je suis obligé de travailler tard. (I am obliged to work late.) |
| Avoir besoin de | Need to | J’ai besoin de ton aide. (I need your help.) |
Conclusion
✅ “Il fait” is mainly used for describing weather, general conditions, and idiomatic expressions with “faire.”
✅ “Il faut” expresses necessity, obligation, or requirements, often followed by an infinitive, a noun, or “que” + subjunctive.
✅ The negative form (il ne faut pas) expresses prohibition.
✅ In the past, il fallait is used.