English / Français
Infinitives after verbs
English usually links a second verb with “to”. French can link a second verb in several ways: directly, with à, with de, or with pour. The first verb usually determines which form you need.
After vouloir, French uses the infinitive directly.
- The raised line on a stand is a whole phrase doing the job of one word. “To help Luc” is the thing wanted.
- The French infinitive is a single word, aider, so nothing sits on the slanted line.
- Vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, savoir, aimer, préférer, aller and espérer all work this way.
Apprendre links to the next verb with à.
- Here the linking word matches English “to”, but which one to use depends on the first verb.
- Verbs of beginning, learning and succeeding often take à: commencer à, apprendre à, réussir à, continuer à, aider à.
- The French present covers both “I learn” and “I am learning”.
Essayer links to the next verb with de.
- Many common verbs take de: essayer de, décider de, finir de, oublier de, arrêter de, accepter de.
- De becomes d’ before a vowel or silent h: d’aider, d’habiter.
- Compare J’apprends à nager: English says “to” after both verbs, but French needs à after one and de after the other.
Aller + infinitive is the everyday future, like English “going to”.
- This is the near future, the futur proche. It is the most common way to talk about the future in speech: Je vais partir demain.
- Like “going to”, it can also mean actual movement: Je vais chercher du pain (I’m going to get some bread).
- Before a place aller takes à, but before an infinitive it takes nothing: Je vais à Paris, but Je vais aider Luc.
French uses à for the destination and pour for the purpose.
- Je vais à Paris is already a complete clause. The purpose is added on with pour.
- Pour + infinitive expresses purpose, like “in order to”: Je travaille pour gagner de l’argent.
- Both phrases hang under the verb: one says where, the other says why.
Same diagram. Devoir is followed directly by the infinitive.
- Devoir is followed directly by the infinitive, like English “must”.
- “I have to work” is also Je dois travailler. Il faut travailler (One has to work) is another common way to say it.
- Pouvoir works the same way: Je peux travailler (I can work).
Same diagram. The pronoun goes before the infinitive, not before peux.
- The pronoun belongs to faire, so it goes right before it: Je peux le faire, Je veux la voir, Je vais y aller.
- In the negative, ne … pas goes around the first verb: Je ne peux pas le faire.
- Faire and laisser plus an infinitive are exceptions: the pronoun goes before them, Je le fais venir (I’m having him come). See Pronouns.
Which link each verb takes
| Link | After these verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nothing | vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, savoir, aller, aimer, préférer, espérer, détester | Je veux aider Luc. |
| à | apprendre, commencer, continuer, réussir, aider, hésiter, s’habituer | J’apprends à nager. |
| de | essayer, décider, finir, oublier, arrêter, accepter, refuser, choisir | J’essaie d’aider Luc. |
| pour | purpose, added to a clause that is already complete | Je vais à Paris pour aider Luc. |
- A shortcut for pour: if “in order to” fits in English, French usually uses pour.
- De becomes d’ before a vowel or silent h: d’aider, d’habiter. À never changes.
- When you ask or tell someone to do something, the person takes à and the infinitive takes de: Je demande à Luc de venir (I ask Luc to come), Dis à Camille de m’appeler (Tell Camille to call me).
- Savoir + infinitive means “know how to”: Je sais nager (I can swim).
- An object pronoun goes before the infinitive it belongs to: Je veux le voir, J’essaie de l’aider.
Just done, about to do
Two everyday verbs plus an infinitive place an action just before or just after now.
aller + infinitive: the near future
- Je vais manger. I’m going to eat.
- Il va pleuvoir. It’s going to rain.
- It is the usual future in speech. The future tense, je mangerai, sounds more formal or more distant.
- In the negative, ne … pas goes around aller: Je ne vais pas manger.
venir de + infinitive: the recent past
- Je viens de manger. I’ve just eaten.
- Luc vient d’arriver. Luc has just arrived.
- English uses “just” with the past. French uses venir in the present, with de.
- Without de, venir means actual movement: Je viens manger (I’m coming to eat).