Using the Spanish Verb Hacer

Using the Spanish Verb Hacer Hacer is one of the most versatile verbs in the Spanish language, and it is used in a wide range of expressions that youll use daily. Although it is often said to mean to make or to do, in context it can refer to almost any activity as well as the act of becoming. Except as a simple question ( ¿hace? can mean something like will that do? and  ¿quà © haces? means what are you doing? or what are you making?), hacer very seldom stands alone. It is almost always followed by a noun. Key Takeaways Although  hacer  often is translated as to make or to do, it can be used in many other ways, including time and weather expressions.The reflexive form  hacerse  can also mean to become or to turn into.Hacer  is irregular in nearly all its forms. Uses for Hacer Here are some of the most common uses of hacer: To indicate the making or creation of something: A number of translations of the verb can be used in English depending on what is being made. Vamos a hacer una pgina web. (Were going to design a web page.)Hizo una casa grande en Chicago. (He built a large house in Chicago.)Hice un libro sobre mi tà ­a. (I wrote a book about my aunt.)El rbol hace sombra. (The tree provides shade.) As a general verb meaning to do: Hacer can refer to an activity in general, or it can replace a verb used earlier. No hizo nada. (She didnt do anything.)Yo comà ­a mucho y à ©l hacà ­a el mismo. (I ate a lot and he did the same.)Haz lo que digo, no lo que hago. (Do what I say, not what I do.)Hice mal en no estudiar. (I did wrong not to study.) As part of an expression or idiom indicating an act of some kind:  ¿Quieres hacer una pregunta? (Do you want to ask a question?)El acto terrorista le hizo daà ±o a mucha gente. (The terrorist act hurt a lot of people.)Hizo pedazos el comprobante. (He tore the receipt into pieces.) In weather terms: Typically, weather terms use a third-person singular form of hacer followed by a noun. Hace frà ­o. (Its cold.)Hacà ­a viento por todas partes. (It was windy everywhere.) In time expressions: Typically, hace is followed by a period of time to indicate how long ago something happened or started. El dà ³lar cae a niveles de hace dos aà ±os. (The dollar is falling to levels of two years ago.)Este virus se descubrià ³ hace poco tiempo. (This virus was discovered a short time ago.)La tengo desde hace tres dà ­as y estoy muy contento con ella. (I have had it since three days ago and am very happy with it.) To show causation: In some cases, hacer is used similarly to the English make to indicate why sometime happened. Ella me hace feliz. (She makes me happy.)Eso me hizo sentir mal. (That made me feel bad.) To indicate the act of becoming: The reflexive form hacerse is often used to indicate change. Se hace ms feliz. (Hes becoming happier.)Me hice hindà º. (I became a Hindu.)Se hicieron amigos. (They became friends.) In various impersonal expressions: In some cases, hacer can become the equivalent of to be. Hace un dà ­a esplà ©ndido. (Its a terrific day.)Voy si hace falta. (Im going if its necessary.)Hay gente que hace carrera sin talento. (There are people who are successful without talent.) To indicate the taking of a role: The role can be deliberate or not. Hizo el papel estelar en El Barbero de Sevilla. (He had the starring role in The Barber of Seville.)Hacà ­a el tonto con perfeccià ³n. (He played the perfect fool.)Hizo como que no entendà ­a nada. (She acted as if she understood nothing.) To indicate how something seems: The reflexive form is sometimes used in this way. Piorno se hace simptico por su acento caribeà ±o. (Piorno seems friendly because of his Caribbean accent.)Las horas se hacà ­an muy largas. (The hours seemed very long.) Conjugation of Hacer Like most much-used verbs, hacers conjugation is highly irregular. Here are the conjugations of the irregular indicative forms, with irregular conjugations in boldface: Present: yo hago, tà º haces, à ©l/ella/usted hace, hay (impersonal), nosotros/nosotras hacemos, vosotros/vosotras hacà ©is, ellos/ellas/ustedes hacen. Preterite: yo hice, tà º hiciste, à ©l/ella/usted hizo, hay nosotros/nosotras hicimos, vosotros/vosotras hicisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes hicieron. Future: yo harà ©, tà º harà ©s, à ©l/ella/usted har, nosotros/nosotras haremos, vosotros/vosotras harà ©is, ellos/ellas/ustedes harn. Conditional: yo harà ­a, tà º harà ­as, à ©l/ella/usted harà ­a, nosotros/nosotras harà ­amos, vosotros/vosotras harà ­ais, ellos/ellas/ustedes harà ­an.