Understanding French Verb + Infinitive Constructions
In French, many verbs are followed directly by an infinitive (the base form of the verb ending in -er, -ir, or -re). This creates verb chains that express complex ideas about ability, desire, obligation, and other relationships between actions.
Three main patterns:
1. VERB + INFINITIVE (no preposition)
2. VERB + À + INFINITIVE (with preposition à)
3. VERB + DE + INFINITIVE (with preposition de)
Understanding which pattern to use with each verb is crucial for natural French expression.
Examples
Je veux manger. (I want to eat.) - No preposition
Direct infinitive construction
J'apprends à nager. (I'm learning to swim.) - With à
Infinitive with preposition à
Je décide de partir. (I decide to leave.) - With de
Infinitive with preposition de
Modal Verbs + Infinitive (No Preposition)
Modal verbs express ability, desire, obligation, or possibility and are followed directly by an infinitive:
Common Modal Verbs + Infinitive
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| vouloir | to want | Je veux partir. (I want to leave.) |
| pouvoir | to be able/can | Tu peux venir. (You can come.) |
| devoir | to have to/must | Il doit travailler. (He must work.) |
| savoir | to know how | Elle sait conduire. (She knows how to drive.) |
| falloir | to be necessary | Il faut étudier. (One must study.) |
| valoir mieux | to be better | Il vaut mieux attendre. (It's better to wait.) |
VOULOIR + Infinitive
Expressing desire or intention:
Je veux apprendre le français. (I want to learn French.)
Nous voulons voyager. (We want to travel.)
POUVOIR + Infinitive
Expressing ability or permission:
Tu peux m'aider? (Can you help me?)
On peut sortir? (Can we go out?)
DEVOIR + Infinitive
Expressing obligation or necessity:
Je dois partir maintenant. (I must leave now.)
Vous devez faire attention. (You must be careful.)
Other Verbs + Direct Infinitive
Many other verbs are followed directly by an infinitive without a preposition:
Common Verbs + Direct Infinitive
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| aimer | to like/love | J'aime danser. (I like to dance.) |
| préférer | to prefer | Je préfère rester. (I prefer to stay.) |
| espérer | to hope | J'espère réussir. (I hope to succeed.) |
| aller | to go | Je vais manger. (I'm going to eat.) |
| venir | to come | Il vient nous voir. (He's coming to see us.) |
| faire | to make/do | Tu me fais rire. (You make me laugh.) |
Preference Verbs
Expressing likes and preferences:
J'adore voyager. (I love to travel.)
Il déteste attendre. (He hates to wait.)
Movement Verbs
Verbs of movement + infinitive of purpose:
Je vais acheter du pain. (I'm going to buy bread.)
Elle vient me parler. (She's coming to talk to me.)
Verbs + À + Infinitive
Many verbs require the preposition à before an infinitive:
Common Verbs + À + Infinitive
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| apprendre à | to learn to | J'apprends à conduire. (I'm learning to drive.) |
| commencer à | to begin to | Il commence à pleuvoir. (It's starting to rain.) |
| continuer à | to continue to | Elle continue à étudier. (She continues to study.) |
| réussir à | to succeed in | Je réussis à comprendre. (I manage to understand.) |
| aider à | to help to | Tu m'aides à porter? (Will you help me carry?) |
| inviter à | to invite to | Il m'invite à dîner. (He invites me to dinner.) |
Learning and Beginning
Verbs related to starting or learning:
Elle apprend à jouer du piano. (She's learning to play piano.)
Nous commençons à comprendre. (We're beginning to understand.)
Success and Effort
Verbs expressing achievement or effort:
J'arrive à le faire. (I manage to do it.)
Il cherche à améliorer. (He's trying to improve.)
Verbs + DE + Infinitive
Many verbs require the preposition de before an infinitive:
Common Verbs + DE + Infinitive
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| décider de | to decide to | Je décide de partir. (I decide to leave.) |
| essayer de | to try to | J'essaie de comprendre. (I try to understand.) |
| finir de | to finish | Il finit de manger. (He finishes eating.) |
| oublier de | to forget to | J'oublie de fermer. (I forget to close.) |
| promettre de | to promise to | Elle promet de venir. (She promises to come.) |
| refuser de | to refuse to | Il refuse de partir. (He refuses to leave.) |
Decision and Choice
Verbs expressing decisions:
Nous choisissons de rester. (We choose to stay.)
Elle décide de partir. (She decides to leave.)
Completion and Memory
Verbs related to finishing or remembering:
J'arrête de fumer. (I stop smoking.)
Tu te souviens de fermer? (Do you remember to close?)
Adjectives + DE + Infinitive
Many adjectives are also followed by de + infinitive:
Examples
Je suis content de vous voir. (I'm happy to see you.)
Il est facile de comprendre. (It's easy to understand.)
C'est difficile de parler. (It's difficult to speak.)
Nous sommes prêts de partir. (We're ready to leave.)
Emotional Adjectives
Adjectives expressing feelings:
Je suis heureux de te voir. (I'm happy to see you.)
Elle est triste de partir. (She's sad to leave.)
Causative Constructions
Special constructions where one person causes another to do something:
Examples
Je fais réparer ma voiture. (I have my car repaired.)
Elle fait venir le médecin. (She has the doctor come.)
FAIRE + Infinitive
Having someone do something:
Je fais cuire le dîner. (I'm cooking dinner.)
Tu me fais attendre. (You're making me wait.)
LAISSER + Infinitive
Letting someone do something:
Je laisse partir les enfants. (I let the children leave.)
Elle me laisse conduire. (She lets me drive.)
Negation with Infinitive Constructions
When negating verb + infinitive constructions, the negation usually surrounds the conjugated verb:
Examples
Je ne veux pas partir. (I don't want to leave.)
Il ne peut pas venir. (He can't come.)
Nous n'apprenons pas à conduire. (We're not learning to drive.)
Elle ne décide pas de rester. (She doesn't decide to stay.)
Negating the Infinitive
Sometimes the infinitive itself is negated:
Je préfère ne pas sortir. (I prefer not to go out.)
Il vaut mieux ne rien dire. (It's better to say nothing.)
Memory Strategies
Tips for remembering which preposition to use:
No Preposition Groups
Common categories that take direct infinitive:
Modal verbs: vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, savoir
Preference verbs: aimer, préférer, détester
Movement verbs: aller, venir
Perception verbs: voir, entendre
À Preposition Pattern
Verbs expressing learning, beginning, or effort:
Learning: apprendre à, enseigner à
Beginning: commencer à, se mettre à
DE Preposition Pattern
Verbs expressing decision, completion, or emotion:
Decision: décider de, choisir de
Completion: finir de, arrêter de
Common Mistakes with Infinitive Constructions
Here are frequent errors students make:
1. Wrong preposition: Using à instead of de or vice versa
2. Adding unnecessary prepositions: Using prepositions with modal verbs
3. Missing prepositions: Forgetting required prepositions
4. Wrong infinitive form: Using conjugated verbs instead of infinitives
Examples
❌ Je veux à partir → ✅ Je veux partir
Wrong: modal verbs don't need prepositions
❌ J'apprends de conduire → ✅ J'apprends à conduire
Wrong: apprendre takes à, not de
❌ Je décide à partir → ✅ Je décide de partir
Wrong: décider takes de, not à
❌ Je veux que je pars → ✅ Je veux partir
Wrong: use infinitive, not conjugated verb