Verbs with Prepositions in French

In French, many verbs are followed by specific prepositions before their objects or infinitives. These prepositions can change the meaning of the verb or indicate how it relates to the rest of the sentence. Mastering these verb-preposition combinations is essential for fluency, as they often differ from their English equivalents.

Common Prepositions After Verbs

The most common prepositions that follow French verbs are:

• à (to, at)
• de (of, from)
• pour (for)
• dans (in)
• avec (with)
• en (in)

The two most frequent ones are à and de, especially when linking a verb to an infinitive.

Verbs Followed by “à”

Some verbs require à before another verb (infinitive) or an object. Here are common examples:

1. Before an Infinitive:
   • Apprendre à (to learn to): J’apprends à parler français. (I’m learning to speak French.)
   • Commencer à (to start to): Elle commence à travailler. (She’s starting to work.)
   • Hésiter à (to hesitate to): Il hésite à répondre. (He hesitates to respond.)
2. Before an Object:
   • Téléphoner à (to call): Je téléphone à ma mère. (I call my mother.)
   • Donner à (to give to): Elle donne un cadeau à son ami. (She gives a gift to her friend.)
   • Répondre à (to answer): Il répond à la question. (He answers the question.)

Verbs Followed by “de”

Some verbs require de before another verb or an object:

1. Before an Infinitive:
   • Essayer de (to try to): J’essaie de comprendre. (I’m trying to understand.)
   • Arrêter de (to stop): Elle arrête de fumer. (She’s stopping smoking.)
   • Oublier de (to forget to): Il oublie de fermer la porte. (He forgets to close the door.)
2. Before an Object:
   • Parler de (to talk about): Nous parlons de nos vacances. (We’re talking about our vacation.)
   • Avoir besoin de (to need): J’ai besoin de ton aide. (I need your help.)
   • S’occuper de (to take care of): Je m’occupe de mes enfants. (I’m taking care of my children.)

Verbs Followed by Other Prepositions

Some verbs use prepositions like pour, avec, or dans:

• Penser à (to think of/about): Je pense à mes amis. (I think about my friends.)
• S’intéresser à (to be interested in): Elle s’intéresse à l’histoire. (She’s interested in history.)
• Rêver de (to dream of): Il rêve de devenir médecin. (He dreams of becoming a doctor.)
• Se battre pour (to fight for): Ils se battent pour leurs droits. (They fight for their rights.)
• Compter sur (to count on): Je compte sur toi. (I’m counting on you.)

Verbs That Change Meaning with Prepositions

Some verbs completely change their meaning depending on the preposition used:

• Penser à (to think about): Je pense à mes vacances. (I’m thinking about my vacation.)
• Penser de (to have an opinion about): Que penses-tu de ce film ? (What do you think about this movie?)
• Servir à (to be used for): À quoi ça sert ? (What is it used for?)
• Servir de (to serve as): Ce couteau sert de tournevis. (This knife serves as a screwdriver.)

Tips to Remember These Combinations

1. Memorize the Verb-Preposition Pair: Learn the preposition as part of the verb itself, like a single unit.
   Example: Instead of just learning parler, learn parler de or parler à.
2. Practice Contextually: Write sentences or phrases that include the verbs with their correct prepositions.
3. Focus on Common Combinations: Start with high-frequency verbs such as penser à, parler de, essayer de, and commencer à.
4. Pay Attention to Meaning Changes: Watch for verbs where the preposition alters the meaning (penser à vs. penser de).

By practicing these verb-preposition combinations, you’ll improve your ability to form grammatically correct and meaningful sentences in French.

You can take the multiple-choice quiz.

Deepen your comprehension of French verbs with prepositions in this online exercise. Challenge yourself by selecting the appropriate prepositions for sentences and verbs.