Learn Italian: Aspettano e fanno la fila. - They wait and stand in line.

Exactly! While fare usually means "to do" or "to make", Italian uses it in many everyday expressions where English uses different verbs. Fare la fila translates literally to "to make the line," but it is the normal Italian way to say "to stand in line" or "to wait in a queue."

Why is it fanno instead of following the regular -are verb rules?

Fare is an irregular verb, meaning it doesn't follow the standard pattern you learned for regular verbs. The "they" form is fanno (with a double n). Because fare is one of the most common verbs in Italian, you will just need to memorize its special forms!

Why isn't the word loro (they) used before the verbs?

In Italian, the subject pronoun is usually dropped. The verbs themselves tell you who is doing the action. Both aspettano and fanno end in -no, which is the standard present tense ending for "they". You only need to add loro if you want to strongly emphasize who is waiting.

Can aspettano also mean "they are waiting"?

Yes! In Italian, the simple present tense covers both general facts ("they wait") and actions happening right now ("they are waiting"). You don't need a separate verb for "are" in this sentence.