Verb + de + Infinitive
Verbs Linked to an Infinitive by De
In French, many verbs require the preposition de (or d' before a vowel) to connect to a following infinitive. This de doesn't mean 'of' or 'from'; it's simply a grammatical bridge required by the first verb.
How It Works
The use of de before an infinitive is a lexical requirement, meaning you must learn which verbs trigger it.
1. Function and Meaning
In this pattern, de is a functional marker. It does not carry its usual prepositional meaning of 'from' or 'about.' It simply allows the second verb (the infinitive) to act as the object of the first verb.
2. Mandatory Elision
When the following infinitive starts with a vowel or a silent 'h', de must contract to d'. This is a strict rule of elision.
Example: J'essaie d'apprendre (I am trying to learn).
3. Common Verbs using 'de'
While there is no single logic, many verbs involving stopping, finishing, or mental decisions use this pattern:
- Finir de (To finish)
- Arrêter de (To stop)
- Décider de (To decide)
- Oublier de (To forget)
- Essayer de (To try)
- Refuser de (To refuse)
4. Negation Placement
When negating the infinitive itself, the de stays before the full negation ne pas.
Example: Il a décidé de ne pas venir.
Examples (5)
- J'ai décidé de partir en vacances.
I decided to go on vacation.
Word by Word: I have decided of to leave in vacations.
The verb 'décider' requires 'de' before the infinitive 'partir'.
- Elle a enfin fini de manger.
She finally finished eating.
Word by Word: She has finally finished of to eat.
Verbs of completion like 'finir' typically use 'de' to link to the action being finished.
- N'oubliez pas d'éteindre la lumière.
Don't forget to turn off the light.
Word by Word: Do not forget not of to extinguish the light.
Note the elision: 'de' becomes 'd'' before the vowel in 'éteindre'.
- Il essaie d'apprendre le français.
He is trying to learn French.
Word by Word: He tries of to learn the French.
The verb 'essayer' (to try) always takes 'de' before a following verb.
- Nous avons refusé de participer.
We refused to participate.
Word by Word: We have refused of to participate.
The verb 'refuser' requires 'de' to introduce the action being refused.
Common Mistakes
Using 'de' after modal verbs like 'vouloir' or 'pouvoir'.
Je veux de chanter.Je veux chanter.Modal verbs take a 'bare infinitive' (no preposition). You should check the pattern for verbs linked directly to an infinitive.
Forgetting elision before a vowel.
Il a oublié de apporter son livre.Il a oublié d'apporter son livre.In French, 'de' must always become 'd'' when the next word starts with a vowel sound.
Misplacing 'de' in a negative infinitive construction.
J'ai décidé ne pas de venir.J'ai décidé de ne pas venir.The linker 'de' must come before the entire negative block 'ne pas'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn this pattern, you first need to understand how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense and how the preposition 'de' functions generally. You should also be comfortable with basic sentence structure, as this pattern adds a second verb (in its infinitive form) to a standard subject-verb sequence.
- de (provenance / appartenance)Origin, Possession with De
Understanding the basic preposition 'de' is essential as it serves as the linking particle between the main verb and the infinitive.
Level 1 - Regular -er verb conjugation
Learners need to be able to conjugate the main verbs (like essayer or décider) in the present tense to form these sentences.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Verb + à + InfinitiveVerbs Linked to an Infinitive by a
The primary alternative to 'de'; many verbs use 'à' instead, and the choice must be learned for each verb.
Level 2 - Verbs linked directly to an infinitive
Some common verbs (like 'aimer' or 'pouvoir') require no linker at all between them and the infinitive.
Level 2 - Dropping a vowel before another vowel
Explains why 'de' changes to 'd'' before certain infinitives.
Level 1 - en (de + infinitif)En Standing for an Idea Introduced by De
When you want to replace the 'de + infinitive' phrase with a pronoun, you use 'en'.
Level 3 - il est + Adjective + de + InfinitiveImpersonal Judgment with Il Est...de
A similar structure where 'de' links an impersonal expression to an infinitive.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Verb + de + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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