fa
/ˈfa/
The Italian word for "ago" is fa.
The word fa is used to indicate that a period of time has passed or has gone by. For example, you can use the informal phrase un po' di tempo fa to mean "some time ago".
Meaning: past, gone by, since (postp)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a postposition, fa must follow the time expression it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid placing fa before the time expression, such as saying fa tre giorni. Instead, always place it after the expression of time.
Did you know?
- Although it means 'ago', fa is actually a conjugated form of the verb fare, which means 'to do' or 'to make'.
- While fa is used for 'ago' in the past, Italian uses the verb fare in other ways to describe the weather, such as fa caldo for 'it is hot'.
- Even though you are talking about the past, you must always use the present tense 'fa' rather than a past tense form of the verb.
Examples in context
- Era tre mesi fa.That was three months ago.This sentence shows how to use fa with a specific number of months.Tatoeba #5029644 by Guybrush88, translation #5029640 by CK
- Era tre anni fa.It was three years ago.This sentence shows how to use fa with a specific number of years.Tatoeba #5287906 by Guybrush88, translation #3518560 by CK
- Era tre giorni fa.It was three days ago.This sentence shows how to use fa with a specific number of days.Tatoeba #4310086 by Guybrush88, translation #42824 by CK
- L'ho visto due mesi faI saw him/her two months ago
- Sono andato in vacanza tre settimane faI went on vacation three weeks ago
- Ho ricevuto il tuo messaggio tre giorni faI received your message three days ago
- Abbiamo giocato a calcio insieme due settimane faWe played soccer together two weeks ago
- Ho visto quel film un po' di tempo faI watched that movie some time ago
- L'ho incontrato un mese faI met him/her a month ago
- 883 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are meeting for coffee after a busy morning.
- LorenzoCiao Martina, sei arrivata un po' fa?Hi Martina, did you arrive a little while ago?
- MartinaSì, sono arrivata dieci minuti fa.Yes, I arrived ten minutes ago.
- LorenzoBene, io sono qui da poco.Good, I've been here for a short while.
- MartinaOttimo, prendiamo un caffè allora.Great, let's have a coffee then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ago” translations and entries fa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
