The best way to memorize the right preposition for a French Verb is to copy the list of French verb + preposition onto French flashcards. Then use your French verb + preposition in sentences that make sense to you, connecting them to your own life experiences.
For example, to illustrate “avoir peur de” I could write “j’ai peur des araignées” – I am afraid of spiders, which is true, and a statement that makes sense to me: I would remember this statement longer.
1 – How to Memorize Common French Verbs + De + Verb
- Start by making a smaller list of French verbs + prepositions which YOU are likely to use.
- Illustrate them with your own sentence and memorize them.
- Then come back to this article and add to your list.
- Revisit often! Repetition is the key.
2 – List of Common French Verbs Followed by the Preposition de + Verb
To make it clearer, I’ll use “faire quelque chose” as my second verb, but you could replace it with any other infinitive that makes sense.
- accepter de faire quelque chose – to accept to do something
- accuser (quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to accuse (someone) of doing something
- arrêter de faire quelque chose – to stop doing something
- avoir peur de faire quelque chose – to be afraid of doing something
- avoir envie de faire quelque chose – to feel like doing something
- avoir besoin de faire quelque chose – to need to do something
- avoir l’air de faire quelque chose – to seem to be doing something
- avoir l’intention de faire quelque chose – to intend to do something
- avoir raison de faire quelque chose – to be right to do something
- avoir tort de faire quelque chose – to be wrong to do something
- cesser de faire quelque chose – to cease doing something
- choisir de faire quelque chose – to choose to do something
- commander (à qqun) de faire quelque chose – to order (someone) to do something
- conseiller de faire quelque chose – to advise to do something
- continuer de faire quelque chose – to keep doing something
- craindre de faire quelque chose – to fear doing something
- décider de faire quelque chose – to decide to something
- défendre (à quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to forbid (someone) to do something
- demander (à quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to ask (someone) to do something
- se dépêcher de faire quelque chose – to hurry to do something
- dire (à quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to tell (someone) to do something
- empêcher (quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to keep/ prevent (someone) from doing something
- essayer de faire quelque chose – to try to do something
- s’excuser de faire quelque chose – to apologize for doing something
- finir de faire quelque chose – to finish doing something
- manquer de faire quelque chose – to neglect doing something
- mériter de faire quelque chose – to deserve to do something
- offrir de faire quelque chose – to offer to do something
- oublier de faire quelque chose – to forget to do something
- parler de faire quelque chose – to talk about doing something
- (se) permettre de faire quelque chose – to allow (oneself) to do something
- se plaindre de faire quelque chose – to complain about doing something
- promettre de faire quelque chose – to promise to do something
- proposer de faire quelque chose – to suggest to do something
- refuser de faire quelque chose – to refuse to do something
- regretter de faire quelque chose – to regret doing something
- remercier de faire quelque chose – to thank for doing something
- rêver de faire quelque chose – to dream of doing something
- risquer de faire quelque chose – to risk doing something
- s’assurer de faire quelque chose – to make sure of doing something
- se souvenir de faire quelque chose – to remember doing something
- supplier de faire quelque chose – to beg to do something
- venir de faire quelque chose – to have just done something
- se contenter de faire quelque chose – to content oneself with doing something
- convaincre (quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to convince (someone) to do something
- s’efforcer de faire quelque chose – to try hard to do something
- envisager de faire quelque chose- to contemplate doing something
- éviter de faire quelque chose – to avoid doing something
- faire semblant de faire quelque chose – to pretend doing something
- feindre de faire quelque chose – to feign to, to pretend doing something
- interdire (à quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to forbid (someone) to do something
- jurer de faire quelque chose – to swear to do something
- menacer (quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to threaten (someone) to do something
- persuader (quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to convince (someone) to do something
- prévoir de faire quelque chose – to plan on doing something
- projeter de faire quelque chose – to plan on doing something
- reprocher (à quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to reproach (someone) for doing something
- soupçonner (quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to suspect (someone) of doing something
- suggérer (à quelqu’un) de faire quelque chose – to suggest doing something
- tâcher de faire quelque chose – to try to do something
- tenter de faire quelque chose – to try to do something
3 – List of Common French Verbs + Preposition de + Noun
To make it easier, I’ll use “Pierre” as my noun, but it could be a thing as well, not necessarily a person.
Note that this preposition “de” will contract with an article, hence becoming “du” or “des” if need be.
Note also that many of these expressions will involve the French pronoun en when followed by a thing (if it’s a person, you’ll need a stress pronoun).
Je m’en approche. (de la télévision)
Je m’approche de lui. (de Pierre)
Train your verb memory with short 6-minute drills in 25 different forms and tenses
- s’approcher de Pierre – to get closer to Pierre
- s’apercevoir de son erreur – to notice one’s mistake
- avoir besoin de Pierre – to need Pierre
- avoir peur de Pierre – to be afraid of Pierre
- avoir l’air de Pierre – to look like Pierre
- avoir envie d’une pomme – to feel like (eating) an apple. Watch out “avoir envie de Pierre”, so used with a person, mean to want that person sexually.
- changer de chaussure – to change into other shoes
- dépendre de Pierre – to depend on Pierre
- douter de Pierre – to doubt Pierre
- être responsable de Pierre – to be responsible for Pierre
- hériter de Pierre – to inherit of Pierre or from Pierre
- jouer du piano – to play piano (an instrument)
- manquer de temps – to lack time
- se méfier de Pierre – to beware of Pierre
- se moquer de Pierre – to make fun of Pierre
- s’occuper de Pierre – to take care of Pierre
- parler de Pierre – to talk about Pierre
- partir de France – to leave France
- se passer de Pierre – to do without Pierre
- Que penses-tu de Pierre ? – what is your opinion about Pierre?
- se plaindre de Pierre – to complain about Pierre
- profiter de Pierre – to take advantage of Pierre
- rêver de Pierre – to dream of Pierre
- rire de Pierre – to laugh at Pierre
- se servir de Pierre – to use Pierre
- se souvenir de Pierre – to remember Pierre
- se tromper de livre – to (take/buy…) the wrong book
If you know more COMMON French verbs followed by “de” + verb in the infinitive, please leave a comment below, or contact me, and I’ll add them to the list. Merci!
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Follow this link to access the list of French verbs followed by à
The list of verbs followed by no preposition at all
You may also enjoy learning about French prepositions of place used with countries and regions
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