Many conjugated verbs in French can be followed directly by infinitives.
Nous venons livrer l'armoire. |
We've come to deliver the wardrobe. |
Je vais la peindre. |
I'm going to paint it. |
Je ne peux pas sortir ce soir. |
I cannot go out tonight. |
Other verbs require the prepositions à or de before the infinitive.
Ils ont oublié de téléphoner. |
They forgot to call. |
J'ai commencé à travailler. |
I began to work. |
Nous avons envie de voyager. |
We feel like traveling. |
Here is a list of common verbs that take infinitives:
NO PREPOSITION REQUIRED
aller |
to go (future) |
vouloir |
to want to, wish |
pouvoir |
to be able to, can |
savoir |
to know |
venir |
to come |
détester |
to hate |
aimer |
to love, like |
préférer |
to prefer |
devoir |
to have to, must |
penser |
to think |
espérer |
to hope |
il faut |
it is necessary |
il vaut mieux |
it is better |
EXAMPLES
Je vais travailler cet après-midi. |
I'm going to work this afternoon. |
Veux-tu m'aider? |
Do you want to help me? |
Pourriez-vous ouvrir la fenêtre? |
Could you open the window? |
Je sais programmer. |
I know how to program. |
DE REQUIRED
venir de |
to have just |
essayer de |
to try to |
refuser de |
to refuse to |
avoir peur de |
to be afraid of |
avoir envie de |
to feel like |
avoir besoin de |
to need to |
oublier de |
to forget to |
être obligé de |
to be obliged to |
être en train de |
to be in the process of |
Il vient d'arriver. |
He has just arriverd. |
Martine essaie d'organiser un pique-nique. |
Martine is trying to organize a picnic. |
J'ai envie d'aller à la plage. |
I feel like going to the beach. |
À REQUIRED
à |
to start to |
continuer à |
to continue to* |
Il commence à pleuvoir. |
It's beginning to rain. |
Il continue à parler. |
He continues to speak. |
*In written French you may very well see de used instead of à.
|