en (de + infinitif)

En Standing for an Idea Introduced by De

Level 3

The pronoun en can replace an entire phrase (an infinitive or a clause) that is introduced by the preposition de. It functions like 'of it' or 'about it' in English.

How It Works

In French, many verbs and adjectives are followed by the preposition de before an infinitive or a que-clause. To avoid repetition, we use the adverbial pronoun en.

1. When to use it:
You use en when the governing verb or adjective specifically requires de. Common triggers include:

  • avoir besoin de... (to need to...)
  • être fier de... (to be proud of...)
  • se souvenir de... (to remember...)
  • avoir peur de... (to be afraid of...)

2. Placement:
Like other object pronouns, en usually goes before the conjugated verb. If there is an infinitive, it goes before the infinitive.

3. En vs. Le:
This is a common point of confusion. Use en only if the verb's structure requires de. If the verb takes a direct object (even if a 'linker' de is present for syntax), you often use neutral le instead. For example, promettre de usually takes le because you promise 'it' (the thing), whereas avoir peur de takes en because you are afraid 'of it'.

Examples (4)

  1. Tu as peur de rater l'examen ? — Oui, j'en ai peur.

    Are you afraid of failing the exam? — Yes, I'm afraid of it.

    Word by Word: You have fear of to-miss the exam? — Yes, I of-it have fear.

    Here, 'en' replaces the entire phrase 'de rater l'examen' because the expression is 'avoir peur de'.

  2. Il est convaincu qu'il va gagner. Il en est certain.

    He is convinced that he will win. He is certain of it.

    Word by Word: He is convinced that he goes to-win. He of-it is certain.

    The adjective 'certain' requires 'de'. 'En' replaces the clause 'qu'il va gagner'.

  3. Elle a besoin de partir tôt, mais elle n'en a pas le droit.

    She needs to leave early, but she doesn't have the right to (do so).

    Word by Word: She has need of to-leave early, but she not of-it has not the right.

    The expression 'avoir le droit de' triggers the use of 'en' to refer back to the action of leaving early.

  4. Tu te souviens de ce que j'ai dit ? — Oui, je m'en souviens.

    Do you remember what I said? — Yes, I remember (it).

    Word by Word: You yourself remember of this that I have said? — Yes, I myself of-it remember.

    The verb 'se souvenir de' requires 'en' to replace the 'de' phrase.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting 'en' because English doesn't require a pronoun.

    Tu as besoin d'aide ? — Oui, j'ai besoin.
    Tu as besoin d'aide ? — Oui, j'en ai besoin.

    In English, we can say 'I need (some).' In French, the grammatical slot for the 'de' complement must be filled by 'en'.

  • Using 'en' to replace a person.

    Je parle de mon père. J'en parle.
    Je parle de mon père. Je parle de lui.

    In formal French, 'en' is used for things, ideas, or actions. For people, use a disjunctive pronoun like 'lui' or 'elle' after the preposition 'de'.

  • Adding agreement to the past participle with 'en'.

    Des erreurs, j'en ai faites.
    Des erreurs, j'en ai fait.

    Unlike direct object pronouns, 'en' never triggers agreement with the past participle in compound tenses.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

en (de + infinitif)Level 3En Standing for an Idea Introduced by De

Learn This First

To understand how 'en' can replace an entire idea or action, you first need to be comfortable with its basic role as a pronoun replacing 'de' phrases. You also need to know which verbs naturally take the preposition 'de' when followed by an infinitive or clause, and where to place the pronoun 'en' in a standard French sentence.

Words in This Pattern