j'ai fait
j'ai fait is the French way to say "I did".
The phrase is a statement used to say that the speaker performed a specific action in the past.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, j'ai fait means "I have done". It is composed of the subject je (I), the auxiliary verb avoir (to have) and the past participle fait (done/made).
Which one should you use?
While English speakers distinguish between the simple past "I did" and the present perfect "I have done", the French j'ai fait is used for both in most contexts.
Did you know?
- French has a specific expression faire le pont, which literally means 'to do the bridge'. It describes taking a day off between a public holiday and a weekend to create a long break.
- While j'ai fait means 'I did', the verb faire is used in the expression faire dodo, a childish way to say 'to sleep' that sounds like the sound of a snoring baby.
- In casual spoken French, the je in j'ai fait is often shortened to a sound like sh'ai, making the phrase sound like sh'ai fait.
Examples in context
- J'ai fait ma part.I did my part.This example shows the use of j'ai fait.Tatoeba #4223273 by sacredceltic, translation #2314847 by CK
- J'ai fait ça lundi.I did it on Monday.Tatoeba #7553175 by Aiji, translation #5859789 by CK
- J'ai fait une bêtise.I did something stupid.Tatoeba #2233572 by nimfeo, translation #2064643 by CK
- 227 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are in the kitchen after cleaning.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu as nettoyé la table ?Did you clean the table?
- LéaOui, j'ai fait ça tout à l'heure.Yes, I did that a little while ago.
- GabrielEt pour la vaisselle ?And for the dishes?
- LéaJ'ai fait la vaisselle aussi.I did the dishes too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
