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17 - Infinitives with Prepositions

Common Verb + Preposition Combinations​

  • aller à (to go to): Indicates going to a place or event.
    • Example: Je vais aller à la plage. (I am going to go to the beach.)
    • Example: Il va aller au concert. (He is going to go to the concert.)
  • commencer à (to start to): Indicates the beginning of an action.
    • Example: Il commence à pleuvoir. (It is starting to rain.)
    • Example: Je commence à comprendre. (I am starting to understand.)
  • continuer à (to continue to): Indicates the continuation of an action.
    • Example: Il continue à travailler. (He continues to work.)
    • Example: Elle continue à chanter. (She continues to sing.)
  • réussir à (to succeed in): Indicates success in doing something.
    • Example: J'ai réussi à finir le projet. (I succeeded in finishing the project.)
    • Example: Il a réussi à trouver un emploi. (He succeeded in finding a job.)
  • apprendre à (to learn to): Indicates learning how to do something.
    • Example: J'apprends à conduire. (I am learning to drive.)
    • Example: Elle apprend à jouer du piano. (She is learning to play the piano.)
  • aider à (to help to): Indicates helping someone to do something.
    • Example: Je l'aide à faire ses devoirs. (I am helping him to do his homework.)
    • Example: Elle m'aide à cuisiner. (She is helping me to cook.)
  • essayer de (to try to): Indicates an attempt to do something.
    • Example: J'essaie de parler français. (I am trying to speak French.)
    • Example: Il essaie de comprendre la leçon. (He is trying to understand the lesson.)
  • avoir besoin de (to need to): Indicates needing to do something.
    • Example: J'ai besoin de dormir. (I need to sleep.)
    • Example: Il a besoin de manger. (He needs to eat.)
  • décider de (to decide to): Indicates making a decision to do something.
    • Example: J'ai décidé de partir en vacances. (I decided to go on vacation.)
    • Example: Elle a décidé de changer de travail. (She decided to change jobs.)
  • oublier de (to forget to): Indicates forgetting to do something.
    • Example: J'ai oublié de fermer la porte. (I forgot to close the door.)
    • Example: Il a oublié de prendre son parapluie. (He forgot to take his umbrella.)
  • permettre de (to allow to): Indicates allowing something to happen.
    • Example: Ce billet permet d'entrer au musée. (This ticket allows you to enter the museum.)
    • Example: La loi permet de voter à 18 ans. (The law allows you to vote at 18 years old.)
  • refuser de (to refuse to): Indicates refusing to do something.
    • Example: Il refuse de répondre à la question. (He refuses to answer the question.)
    • Example: Elle refuse de sortir avec lui. (She refuses to go out with him.)

The Basic Rule: Many Verbs Directly Precede the Infinitive​

The most common scenario is that a verb in French is followed directly by an infinitive, without any preposition. This is similar to many verbs in English and some in Spanish.

Examples of verbs followed directly by an infinitive (no preposition):

  • Aimer (to like/love): J'aime manger. (I like to eat.) - As we just saw!
  • Vouloir (to want): Je veux partir. (I want to leave.)
  • Pouvoir (to be able to/can): Tu peux venir. (You can come.)
  • Devoir (to have to/must): Nous devons travailler. (We must work.)
  • Savoir (to know how to): Il sait nager. (He knows how to swim.)
  • Espérer (to hope): J'espère te voir. (I hope to see you.)
  • Aller (to go): Elle va étudier. (She is going to study.)
  • Faire (to make/do): Il fait pleurer l'enfant. (He makes the child cry.)

When to Use "à" before an Infinitive​

You use "à" before an infinitive after certain verbs, especially those that imply:

  1. Purpose, goal, or intention: The action of the infinitive is the goal of the first verb.
  2. Learning, teaching, or helping: These often involve an "at" or "to" something.
  3. Beginning, continuing, or finishing an action: Often implies working at something.
  4. Tendency or inclination: Having a tendency to do something.

Common verbs followed by "à" + infinitive:

  • Apprendre à (to learn to): J'apprends à parler français. (I am learning to speak French.)
  • Aider à (to help to): Il aide à faire le ménage. (He helps to do the housework.)
  • Chercher à (to try to / seek to): Nous cherchons à comprendre. (We are trying to understand.)
  • Commencer à (to begin to): Elle commence à pleurer. (She begins to cry.)
  • Continuer à (to continue to): Ils continuent à travailler. (They continue to work.)
  • Encourager à (to encourage to): Je t'encourage à essayer. (I encourage you to try.)
  • Hésiter à (to hesitate to): Tu hésites à répondre. (You hesitate to answer.)
  • Inviter à (to invite to): Il m'invite à dîner. (He invites me to dinner.)
  • Réussir à (to succeed in/at): Nous réussissons à finir. (We succeed in finishing.)
  • Tenir à (to be keen to / insist on): Je tiens à te remercier. (I'm keen to thank you / I insist on thanking you.)
  • Venir à (to happen to): S'il venait à pleuvoir... (If it happened to rain...) (Less common usage)

Important Note: Some verbs can be followed by "à" or "de" depending on the context or meaning, which is where it gets trickier!

When to Use "de" before an Infinitive​

This is also very common. "De" often implies:

  1. Completion, separation, or origin: The action results from or is a consequence of the first verb.
  2. Fear, regret, or advice: What one is afraid of, regrets doing, or advises against.
  3. Feeling or judgment: Often when an adjective or noun precedes "de."

Common verbs followed by "de" + infinitive:

  • Arrêter de (to stop doing something): J'arrête de fumer. (I stop smoking.)
  • Décider de (to decide to): Nous décidons de partir. (We decide to leave.)
  • Demander de (to ask to / request to): Il me demande de venir. (He asks me to come.)
  • Dire de (to tell to): Elle me dit de faire attention. (She tells me to be careful.)
  • Essayer de (to try to): J'essaie de comprendre. (I try to understand.)
  • Éviter de (to avoid doing something): Évite de faire du bruit. (Avoid making noise.)
  • Finir de (to finish doing something): Tu finis de lire. (You finish reading.)
  • Oublier de (to forget to): J'ai oublié de fermer la porte. (I forgot to close the door.)
  • Permettre de (to allow to): Cela permet de gagner du temps. (That allows one to save time.)
  • Proposer de (to suggest to / propose to): Je propose de manger. (I suggest eating.)
  • Refuser de (to refuse to): Il refuse de t'aider. (He refuses to help you.)
  • Rêver de (to dream of): Je rêve de voyager. (I dream of traveling.)
  • Se souvenir de (to remember to/doing): Je me souviens de t'avoir vu. (I remember seeing you.)

But how can we learn all this? Is there a trick?

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Memorization: When you learn a new verb, try to learn its common constructions, especially if it's followed by "à" or "de" + infinitive. Many verb lists or dictionaries will specify this (e.g., "apprendre à faire qch").

It's one of those aspects of French that requires a bit of focused learning, but with practice, it will become second nature!