Italian Short Answers with Auxiliary Verbs: Say 'Sì, lo faccio' Naturally
Learn to answer Italian yes/no questions with short replies using fare, essere, avere and modal verbs, instead of repeating the whole sentence.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English you often answer a question with a short reply: 'Do you like tea?' 'Yes, I do.' Italian does something similar, but the verb you repeat depends on the question. With the verb fare (to do/make), you answer Sì, lo faccio. With essere (to be) or avere (to have), you simply repeat that verb: Sì, sono or Sì, ho. With modal verbs like potere, volere and dovere, you repeat the modal: Sì, posso. This lesson teaches you to give short, natural answers without repeating the full sentence, and shows how these replies differ from a simple negation.
By the end, you can…
- answer yes/no questions with a short reply using fare, essere, avere or a modal verb.
- recognise when Italian repeats the main verb and when it uses lo faccio instead.
- give a short negative answer with non and the correct verb.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Sì, lo faccio.
Yes, I do.
see, loh FAH-choh
Use when the question contains fare with a direct object, e.g. Fai la spesa? (Do you do the shopping?) → Sì, la faccio. With fare used intransitively (Fai sport?), the natural short answer is simply Sì or Sì, faccio sport.
Sì, sono.
Yes, I am.
see, SOH-noh
Short answer to a question with essere, e.g. Sei stanco? (Are you tired?)
Sì, ho.
Yes, I have.
see, oh
Short answer to a question with avere, e.g. Hai fame? (Are you hungry?)
Sì, posso.
Yes, I can.
see, POHS-soh
Short answer to a question with potere, e.g. Puoi venire? (Can you come?)
No, non lo faccio.
No, I don't.
noh, nohn loh FAH-choh
Negative short answer with fare + direct object; non goes before the object pronoun and verb: non lo faccio.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Italian short answers usually repeat the auxiliary or modal verb from the question. If the question uses essere, repeat sono: Sei italiano? Sì, sono. If it uses avere, repeat ho: Hai tempo? Sì, ho. With modals, repeat the modal: Vuoi un caffè? Sì, voglio. Devi studiare? Sì, devo. With fare, the answer depends on whether fare has a direct object. If it does, replace the object with a pronoun: Fai la spesa? Sì, la faccio (la = la spesa, feminine). Fai i compiti? Sì, li faccio (li = i compiti, masculine plural). If fare has no direct object (Fai sport? Fai yoga?), there is nothing for lo/la to replace, so the natural short answer is simply Sì or Sì, faccio sport — not Sì, lo faccio.
When to use it
Use these short answers in everyday conversation when a full sentence would sound repetitive. They are common in speech and informal writing. In more formal situations, or when you want to be emphatic, you can repeat the full verb phrase: Sì, faccio sport ogni giorno. Note that a plain Sì or No is also correct and very common, but the short verb answer sounds more engaged. For negative answers, put non before the verb: No, non sono. No, non ho. No, non posso. With fare plus a direct object, non goes before the pronoun: No, non lo faccio.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Fai sport nel fine settimana?
Do you play sports at the weekend?fai sport nel FEE-neh set-tee-MAH-nahSì, faccio sport. Gioco a tennis.
Yes, I do. I play tennis.see, FAH-choh sport. JOH-koh ah TEN-neesSei stanco adesso?
Are you tired now?say STAHN-koh ah-DEHS-sohNo, non sono. Sto bene.
No, I'm not. I'm fine.noh, nohn SOH-noh. stoh BEH-nehA little context goes a long way
Short answers that repeat the verb are standard Italian and are used throughout the country; a plain Sì or No is equally correct everywhere and often accompanied by a gesture or a nod. In formal contexts, such as speaking to a professor or an official, repeating the full verb phrase can sound more polite and complete.
One thing to watch for
Answering 'Sì, lo faccio' to the question Fai sport?
Try this instead: Say Sì or Sì, faccio sport. Here fare has no direct object, so there is nothing for lo to replace. The pronoun lo is only needed when fare has a direct object: Fai la spesa? Sì, la faccio (la = la spesa, feminine). Fai i compiti? Sì, li faccio (li = i compiti, masculine plural).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you answer 'Hai fame?' (Are you hungry?) with a short affirmative reply?
Show a sample answer
Sì, ho.
The question uses avere, so repeat ho. Sì, ho fame is also correct but less concise.
2How do you answer 'Puoi aiutarmi?' (Can you help me?) negatively with a short reply?
Show a sample answer
No, non posso.
The question uses the modal potere, so repeat posso with non. No, non posso aiutarti is also correct.
3What is the short answer to 'Fai la spesa?' (Do you do the shopping?) with 'Yes, I do'?
Show a sample answer
Sì, la faccio.
Fare has the direct object la spesa, and la replaces it (feminine). Sì, lo faccio would be wrong here because spesa is feminine.
To answer naturally in Italian, repeat the verb from the question: essere becomes sono, avere becomes ho, and modals stay the same. With fare plus a direct object, replace the object with lo/la/li/le + faccio. Add non for negative replies.
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