Which to use when: facere vs. agere?

[Solange]

Our group has been taught facere for 'to make' or 'to do' but what about agere? In which contexts should each be used, or doesn't it matter?

 

[Errans]

Ago, agere, egi, actus has many meanings:

drive, lead, chase, urge, set in motion, rob, accuse, impeach, excite, prompt, etc.

 

[Cato]

Errans is correct regarding ago; it has many shades of meaning beyond simply "make".

The difference between the two is that ago is a more "active" form of doing/making (the english cognate "act" captures this). Facere is more like "bring into being, create (out of parts)" (the english semi-cognate "fashion"--as in to fashion a clay pot--captures the idea).

 

[Solange]

Oh boy! Such a little word to have so many meanings!

Thank you, gentlemen...

 

[Michael Zwingli]

I know that this is an "old" thread, but I wanted to add my two cents...especially for those who might encounter this via an internet search. I think another difference, in complementary conjunction with that which Cato noted, is that agere renders a more continuative sense of action/doing/performing than does facere. Facere refers more to a particular instance or act of doing/performing, which sense is rendered by agere only in the pefect participle actus. Agere gives more a sense of regular or continuative performance or behavior, much as faciō would do if it were made a frequentive verb with the form facitō. I think that such a hypothetical facitō might be a more direct synonym of agō than is faciō, don't you all think? Then, furthering the continuous sense of agō, the existing verb agitō, frequentive of agō, renders a further sense of continuity...really a sense of constancy or persistence (or, perhaps, insistence?) of action or impetus... In summation, then, I believe that, in order of the continuity/regularity of the verbal action, we have: facere ("to do/make" as an instance) > agere ("to regularly do/make") > agitāre ("to insistently or persistently do/make").

 

[Tlepolemus]

@Michael Zwingli explained very well, so could only add quotes from dictionaries:

Popma:

Agere, Facere et Gerere hoc differunt, quod agere et corporis, et vocis, et mentis agitatum comprehendit. Facere tantum refertur ad opera, quae corpore efficimus. […] Ita agit is, cuius post actionem opus non exstat, ut actor, saltator, cantor, commentator. […] Facit is, cuius opus remanet, ut scriptor, statuarius, pictor, aliique.

Döderlein:

Agere has an effect that exists in time only, like to do; facere, an effect that exists in space also, as to make.

Dumesnil:

(agere) does not express, as facere does, the principle, author, nor a single act of producing; but a series of cares and a continued activity

There are several computer dictionaries of synonyms easy to check.