French Phrase
Il fait attention ?
Meaning
Literally ‘He does attention’, the idiomatic meaning is ‘Is he paying attention?’ or ‘Is he being careful?’. It is used when you want to check whether someone is focused on what’s happening.
When to use
Use this question in a classroom, meeting, or any situation where you need to confirm that a person is listening or being cautious. It is informal to neutral; avoid in very formal written contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ilfaitattention?
Subject Pronoun (Il)
The third‑person singular masculine pronoun used for 'he' or impersonal 'it'.
Faire + noun (fait attention)
The verb *faire* followed by a noun can mean 'to pay/keep' as in the idiom *faire attention* = 'to pay attention'.
Interrogative intonation
Raising the pitch at the end of the sentence (or adding a question mark) turns a statement into a yes/no question without changing word order.
🗨In Conversation
Il fait attention ?
Is he paying attention?
Oui, il suit bien les consignes.
Yes, he’s following the instructions well.
✕Common Mistakes
Il fais attention ?
Do not replace *fait* with *fais*; the verb must agree with the third‑person singular subject *Il*.
Il fait l'attention ?
Never add an article (*le*, *une*) after *attention* in this idiom.
Il fait attention.
Using a period makes it a statement, not a question.
↔Alternatives
Il prête attention ?
Is he paying attention?
Il est attentif ?
Is he attentive?
Il fait attention à ce qu’on dit ?
Is he listening to what we’re saying?
Cultural Tip
In French, *faire attention* is more about being careful (e.g., crossing the street) while *prêter attention* focuses on mental focus. Choose the one that matches the context. In informal speech, you may drop the final *?* and just raise your voice.