Parler À ou Parler DE

The French verbs parler à ou parler de can both be translated as “to speak” in English, but they are used in different contexts and have distinct meanings.

Parler à / au / aux / à l’ + PERSON:

This construction is used to express “talking / speaking to” someone. When the verb parler is followed by À + a person or people, you can use the indirect object pronouns LUI or LEUR to replace those people.

The pronoun LUI means “him / her”, and the pronoun LEUR means “them”. The indirect object pronouns LUI and LEUR are only used for people and animals.

FrenchEnglish
Elle parle à sa meilleure amie.
Elle lui parle.		She is talking to her best friend.
She is talking to her.
Nous parlons à nos amis.
Nous leur parlons.		We are talking to our friends.
We are talking to them.

Parler de / du / de la / des / de l’

+ PERSON, PLACE, THING:

This construction is used to express “talking / speaking about” a person, place, or a thing.

When the verb parler is followed by DE + a person, place, or a thing, you can use the adverbial pronoun EN to replace those people, places, or things.

In this case, the pronoun EN means “about him / her / them”, “about a place”, or “about a thing”.

The adverbial pronoun EN is used to replace a noun that follows du, de la, de l’, des or a quantity.

FrenchEnglish
Je parle du propriétaire.
J’en parle.		I am talking about the owner.
I am talking about him / her.
Vous parliez des devoirs de maths?Vous en parliez?Were you talking about the math homework?
Were you talking about it?
Ils parlent de leurs résultats.
Ils en parlent.		They are talking about their results.
They are talking about them.
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Penser À ou Penser DE

The French verbs penser à ou penser de can both be translated as “to think” in English, but they are used in different contexts and have distinct meanings. Furthermore, the prepositions à and de play an important role in deciding when to use the pronouns Y and EN.

Penser à / au / aux / à l’ + THING:

This construction can be used to express “thinking about” something, indicating what occupies your thoughts or when you’re considering something specific.

When the verb penser is followed by À + a thing or things, you can use the pronoun Y to replace those things. In this case, the pronoun Y means “it” or “them”.

It’s important to recognize that the pronoun Y is not only used for places.

FrenchEnglish
Elle pense à son voyage.
Elle y pense.		She is thinking about her trip.
She is thinking about it.
Nous pensons à nos projets.
Nous y pensons.		We are thinking about our projects.
We are thinking about them.

Penser à + PERSON:

This construction can also be used to express “thinking about” someone. The pronoun Y cannot replace people. You can’t use a pronoun to replace À + a person or people. You need to either state the person’s name or use a disjunctive pronoun as demonstrated in the chart below.

FrenchEnglish
Je pense à Alice.I’m thinking about Alice.
Tu penses à qui ?Who are you thinking about?
Il pense à moi.He is thinking about me.
On pense à toi.We are thinking about you.
Nous pensons à lui.We are thinking about him.
Vous pensez à elle?Are you thinking about her?
Ils pensent à nous.They are thinking about us.
Je pense à vous.I am thinking about you.
Tu penses à eux?Are you thinking about them?
Ils pensent à elles.They are thinking about them.

Penser de / du / de la / des / de l’ +

PERSON, PLACE, THING:

This structure is used to express an opinion or judgment about someone or something. It indicates what you think “of” a particular subject or person.

When the verb penser is followed by de + a person, place or thing, you can use the pronoun EN to replace them.

It is interesting to point out that you can indeed use the pronoun EN for places when they are preceded by some form of DE.

FrenchEnglish
Que penses-tu du professeur?
Qu’en penses-tu?		What is your opinion of the teacher?
What is your opinion of him?
Que pensez-vous de cet endroit?
Qu’en pensez-vous?		What do you think about this place?
What do you think about it?
Que pense-t-il de cette idée?
Qu’en pense-t-il?		What does he think of this idea?
What does he think about it?
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French Prepositions À and DE

There are many ways in which the French prepositions à and de can be used. The chart is a big mix of different ways to use à and de. This list gives a good idea of just some of the many ways that these prepositions can be used. Practice and master this list on QUIZLET!

When to use French prepositions À and DE

FrenchEnglish
Un verre à vinA wine glass
Un verre de vinA glass of wine
Un sac de couchageA sleeping bag
Une chambre à coucherA bedroom
Aller à l’écoleGo to school
Arriver de l’écoleArriving from school
Venir de FranceCome from France
Parler à quelqu’unTalk to someone
Parler de quelqu’unTalk about someone
Avoir peur de quelque choseBe afraid of something
Faire peur à quelqu’unTo scare someone
Participer à un événementParticipate in an event
Se souvenir de quelque choseRemember something
Un souvenir de vacancesA vacation memory
Un souvenir à chérirA memory to treasure
Répondre à une questionAnswer a question
Prendre des photos de paysagesTake photos of landscapes
Prendre le temps de faire quelque choseTake time to do something
Une tasse à caféA coffee cup
Une tasse de caféA cup of coffee
Habiter à ParisLive in Paris
Venir de ParisCome from Paris
Se servir de quelque choseUse something
Se servir à rienTo serve no purpose
Jouer au footballPlay football
Jouer de la guitarePlay the guitar
Un livre d‘histoireA history book
Un livre à lireA book to read
Une chanson d‘amourA love song
Une chanson à chanterA song to sing
Faire attention à quelque chosePay attention to something
Une tranche de gâteauA slice of cake
Sortir de la maisonTo go out of the house
Écouter de la musiqueTo listen to music
Appartenir à quelqu’unTo belong to someone
La clé de la voitureThe key to the car
Un cadeau d‘anniversaireA birthday present
Un cadeau à offrirA present to give
Un film d‘horreurA horror movie
Un film à regarderA movie to watch
Un problème de santéA health problem
Un problème à réglerA problem to solve
Faire confiance à quelqu’unTo trust someone
Prendre soin de quelque choseTo take care of something
Participer à une réunionTo participate in a meeting
Un endroit à visiterA place to visit
Un endroit de rêveA dream location
Sortir de la maisonTo go out of the house
Le livre de MarieMarie’s book
Aller à piedTo go on foot
Un cours de françaisA French class
La vue de la montagneThe view of the mountain
La vue de ma chambreThe view from my room
Je pars à midiI’m leaving at noon
Je pars de NiceI’m leaving from Nice
Elle lit à haute voixShe’s reading aloud
La maison est loin de l’hôpitalThe house is far from the hospital
Une soupe de poissonA fish soup
Une tarte aux pommesAn apple pie
Une course à faireAn errand to run

Download this chart and keep it as a useful reference when you need a reminder of some of the different ways the French prepositions à and de can be used. Practice and master this list with a Quizlet study set!

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French Verbs Followed By DE + Infinitive

This lesson is about some very common French verbs followed by DE + infinitive. The little two letter word DE is very important! Take note of it every time you see it!

This is not a complete list. I’ve tried to choose some verbs that I think you’re actually going to want to use as you start to speak more and more French.

Video + Lesson Guide

Watch my video lesson below in which I’ll provide clear explanations, engaging examples, and practical tips to help you grasp the concept of French verbs followed by DE + infinitive.

Don’t forget to download your free lesson guide, which includes useful examples and additional resources to reinforce your understanding.

French Verbs Followed By DE + Infinitive

accepter de
to agree to		Nous acceptons D‘ASSISTER à votre mariage. 
We agree to attend your wedding. 
arrêter de
to stop		J’arrête DE PARLER.
I stop speaking.   I’m not speaking anymore.
avoir besoin de
to need		Tu as besoin D’ÉTUDIER ces verbes.
You need to study these verbs.
avoir envie de
to want		Qui a envie D’ALLER voir le nouveau James Bond?
Who wants to go see the new James Bond movie?
avoir l’air de
to seem to		Tu as l’air DE VOULOIR dire quelque chose. 
You seem to want to say something. 
avoir l’intention de
to intend		On n’a pas l’intention DE VOYAGER cet hiver. 
We do not intend to travel this winter. 
avoir peur de
to be afraid		Mon frère a peur DE PRENDRE l’avion.
My brother is afraid to fly.
avoir raison de
to be right		Vous avez raison D’AVOIR peur.
You are right to be afraid. 
avoir tort de
to be wrong		Vous avez tort DE ne pas me FAIRE confiance. 
You are wrong not to trust me. 
choisir de
to choose		Vous choisissez DE RESTER chez vous.
You choose to stay home.
décider de
to decide		Ils décident DE FAIRE une présentation.
They decide to make a presentation.
demander de
to ask		Je demande DE SORTIR.
I’m asking to go out.
essayer de
to try		Nous essayons DE te COMPRENDRE.
We are trying to understand you.
être obligé(e) de
to be obligated
to have to		Nous sommes obligé(e)s DE PARTIR à 18h30.
We are obligated to leave at 6:30 pm.
We have to leave at 6:30 pm.
faire exprès de
to do on purpose		Je ne fais pas exprès DE ne pas COMPRENDRE.
I don’t mean not to understand. 
finir de
to finish		Elles finissent D’ÉCRIRE l’exercice.
They finish writing the exercise.
offrir de
to offer		J’offre D’APPORTER leurs bagages.
I’m offering to bring their luggage.
oublier de
to forget		Tu oublies toujours DE FAIRE tes devoirs.
You always forget to do your homework.
promettre de
to promise		Nous promettons DE RANGER notre chambre.
We promise to clean up our room.
rêver de
to dream		Ses petits-enfants rêvent D’ALLER à Disneyland.
His / Her grandchildren dream of going to Disneyland.
risquer de
to risk		Vous risquez DE PERDRE toutes vos affaires.
You risk losing all of your belongings.
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French Contracted Articles vs Partitive Articles

It is important to understand the difference between French contracted articles vs partitive articles, especially when it comes to using them with negation.

Contracted Articles

French contracted articles involve the combination of a preposition and a definite article.

Preposition + Definite ArticleContracted FormExample
à + leauJe vais au marché.
I am going to the market.
à + lesauxJe parle aux étudiants.
I am talking to the students.
de + leduIl revient du cinéma.
He is coming back from the cinema.
de + lesdesElle vient des États-Unis.
She is from the United States.

Partitive Articles

French partitive articles are a specific type of articles used to express an indefinite quantity or an unidentified portion of something. They are used when referring to a noun that is uncountable or represents an indefinite amount. The partitive articles in French are “du,” “de la,” “de l’,” and “des,” which correspond to the English word “some” or the idea of “a portion of.”

de + ledu
ExampleJe mange du pain.
I am eating some bread.
de + lade la
ExampleElle mange de la mousse au chocolat.
She is eating some chocolate mousse.
de + lesdes
ExampleNous avons des amis.
We have some friends.
de l’de l’
ExampleJe bois de l’eau.
I am drinking some water.

Negation With Partitive Articles

It’s important to note that when the noun is used in a negative sentence or in a question where a negative response is expected, the partitive article is replaced by the indefinite article “de” or “d'”.

Tu bois du café?Are you drinking (some) coffee?
Tu ne bois pas de café?You aren’t drinking any coffee?
Tu achètes des fruits?Are you buying some fruit?
Tu n’achètes pas de fruits?You aren’t buying any fruit?

Negation With Contracted Articles

Contracted articles do not change after negation.

Il revient du cinéma.He is coming back from the cinema.
Il ne revient pas du cinéma.He is not coming back from the cinema.
Elle vient des États-Unis.She is from the United States.
Elle ne vient pas des États-Unis.She is not from the United States.

Don’t forget to download your free lesson guide, which includes all of these rules and examples to reinforce your understanding of French contracted articles vs partitive articles.

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Faillir + Infinitive

TO ALMOST DO SOMETHING

To express the idea that you almost or nearly did something (but didn’t), you can use the French verb faillir + infinitive along with avoir.  

This is so easy to do that you don’t even need to know how to conjugate faillir!  You can start using this verb today, even if you’re a beginner. All you need to know is how to conjugate the verb avoir in the present tense!

Faillir + Infinitive

The following construction is actually the passé composé, but don’t worry about that for now if you haven’t yet learned it.  You can still do this.

Just remember that using faillir this way means that you almost or nearly did something, and you’ll always use it the same way:

subject +present tense avoir +failli +any infinitive
Nousavonsfaillitomber
Nous avons failli tomber.We almost / nearly fell (down). 

Present tense conjugation of avoir 

j’ainous avons
tu asvous avez
il – elle – on ails – elles ont

Video + Lesson Guide

Watch my video lesson in which I’ll provide clear explanations, engaging examples, and practical tips to help you grasp the concept of using the French verb Faillir + Infinitive.

Don’t forget to download your free lesson guide, which includes useful examples and additional resources to reinforce your understanding.

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Réussir vs Réussir à

RÉUSSIR = TO SUCCEED / TO MANAGE / TO DO WELL

The French verb réussir can be used with or without the preposition à, depending on the context and the structure of the sentence.  This verb has many different meanings that don’t always directly translate to English. 

Without à: When réussir is followed by a direct object (noun or pronoun), it does not require the preposition “à.”  Réussir does not require à when followed by other prepositions like dans or sans. 

With à: When réussir is followed by an infinitive, it requires the preposition à.  Réussir also requires à when followed by an indirect object (noun or pronoun). 

Réussir ou Réussir à

WITHOUT ÀWITH À 
J’ai réussi l’examen.

⬇ direct object ⬇		J’ai réussi à comprendre.

⬇ infinitive ⬇
I passed the exam.I managed to understand.
Tu as bien réussi ta crème brûlée.

⬇ direct object ⬇		Max réussi toujours à être en retard. 

⬇ infinitive ⬇
You did a great job with your crème brûlée.Max always manages to be late. 
Il a réussi son coup.
idiomatic expression

⬇ direct object ⬇		La vie en France réussit à Roger.


⬇ indirect object (person) ⬇
He pulled it off. Life in France is going well for Roger.
Ma soeur a bien réussi sa vie.


⬇ direct object ⬇		Ça ne réussit pas à Stéphane de ne pas assez dormir.

⬇ indirect object (person) ⬇ 
My sister has done very well for herself.It doesn’t suit Stéphane not to get enough sleep. 
Elle a réussi dans sa vie personnelle et professionnelle.

⬇ preposition dans ⬇		Le fromage ne réussit pas bien à Léa!


⬇ indirect object (person) ⬇
She has thrived in her personal and professional life.Cheese doesn’t agree with Léa!
Comment réussir sans s’épuiser?

⬇ preposition sans ⬇		Je ne réussirai jamais à apprendre à skier.

⬇ infinitive ⬇
How to succeed without burning out?I’ll never manage to learn to ski.

Video + Lesson Guide

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Don’t forget to download your free lesson guide, which includes useful examples and additional resources to reinforce your understanding.

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Beaucoup De ou Beaucoup Des

In French, expressions of quantity are almost always followed by de or d’.  We do this with all kinds of quantities, and it doesn’t matter if the noun that follows is plural, singular, masculine or feminine. However, sometimes we need to ask the question: Beaucoup de ou beaucoup des?  There are certain situations that call for expressions of quantity to be followed by des, du, de la, or d’.

In the following examples, de or d’ replace the partitive articles du, de la, de l’, des. 

Beaucoup de – Peu de – Assez de

J’ai acheté beaucoup de livres.I bought a lot of books.
Elle a très peu d’argent.She has very little money.
Nous avons assez de provisions.We have enough supplies.

However, there is a time when the choice between using de, du, de la, de l’, or des with expressions of quantity can happen.  

It depends on whether the noun is followed by a relative pronoun, which would make the distinction between the quantity being general or specific to a particular context.  

Using du, de la, des, or de l’ indicates a specific quantity related to that particular noun. In the following examples, du, de la, des, and de l’ are not partitive articles, they are contracted articles.  

Partitive and contracted articles look the same, but the meaning is slightly different.  

Est-ce que tu veux boire du champagne?
Do you want to drink some champagne?
Partitive Article
Où est la clé du coffre?
Where is the trunk key? (the key of the trunk)
Contracted Article

Une part du – Quelques bouquets des – Beaucoup des

J’ai mangé une part du gâteau que tu as fait. I ate a piece of the cake (that) you made.
Elle a acheté quelques bouquets des fleurs qui étaient en vente.She bought some bouquets of the flowers that were for sale.
Nous avons visité beaucoup des villes que tu nous as suggérées.We visited many of the cities (that) you suggested.

Relative Pronouns

Remember that the use of “de,” “du,” “de la,” or “des” depends on whether the noun is followed by a relative pronoun and whether you want to convey a general or specific context related to the noun in question.

Beaucoup de poissons.A lot of fish.
Beaucoup des poissons que j’ai attrapés se sont échappés.A lot of the fish (that) I caught escaped.
Une tranche de gâteau.A slice of cake.
Une tranche du gâteau que ta maman a fait.A slice of the cake (that) your mom made.
Peu d’informations.Little information.
Peu des informations que j’ai trouvées étaient utiles.Few of the pieces of information (that) I found were useful.

Video + Lesson Guide

Watch my video lesson in which I’ll provide clear explanations, engaging examples, and practical tips to help you grasp the concept of using French expressions of quantity like beaucoup de ou beaucoup des.

Don’t forget to download your free lesson guide, which includes useful examples and additional resources to reinforce your understanding.

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French Double Pronouns Order

In French, it is common to use up to two pronouns right next to each other. The use of double pronouns allows for concise and precise communication while avoiding repetition.  It’s super important to know the French double pronouns order, and by the end of this lesson you’ll be a pro!

The pronouns that can be combined in this way include direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and the pronouns “y” and “en.”

In this lesson, we will explore using French double pronouns in several tenses, both with and without negation.

French Double Pronouns Order Chart

This chart differs slightly when using affirmative commands.

ME
TELE
NOUSLALUI
VOUSLESLEURYEN

ME – TE – NOUS – VOUS

These can be reflexive pronouns, direct object pronouns, or indirect object pronouns.

LE – LA – LES

These are direct object pronouns.

LUI – LEUR

These are indirect object pronouns.

Y – EN

Y and EN are adverbial pronouns.

Examples

Je les lui ai donnés.passé composéI gave them to him / her.
Je ne les lui ai pas donnés.négationI did not give them to him / her.
Elle me l’achète.présentShe’s buying it for me.
Elle ne me l’achète pas.négationShe’s not buying it for me.
Il va s’en souvenir.futur procheHe is going to remember it.
Il ne va pas s’en souvenir.négationHe is not going to remember it.
Il les y a vus.passé composéHe saw them there.
Il ne les y a pas vus.négationHe did not see them there.
Elle te les donnera demain.futur simpleShe will give them to you tomorrow.
Elle ne te les donnera pas demain.négationShe will not give them to you tomorrow.
Nous allons t’en parler.futur procheWe are going to talk to you about it.
Nous n’allons pas t’en parler.négationWe are not going to talk to you about it.
Je le lui ai dit.passé composéI told him (that).
Je ne le lui ai pas dit.négationI didn’t tell him (that).
Elle se les brosse.présentShe’s brushing them.
Elle ne se les brosse pas.négationShe is not brushing them. 

Why use double pronouns?

Combining pronouns in a sentence helps to clarify the relationships between the subject, objects, and locations, making conversations more precise and concise.

Video + Lesson Guide

Watch my video lesson in which I’ll provide clear explanations, engaging examples, and practical tips to help you grasp the concept of French double pronouns.

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Revenir – Venir – Rentrer

The French verbs revenir, venir, rentrer are used to express different forms of movement or arrival. When followed by prepositions like “de,” “du,” or “des,” they indicate the origin or departure point of the action.

Use These Verbs With Countries

The verbs revenir, venir, rentrer follow a pattern when it comes to knowing which form of DE to use.

DEComing back, coming from, or returning home from a feminine country
DUComing back, coming from, or returning home from a masculine country
DESComing back, coming from, or returning home from a plural country

Revenir

“Revenir” means “to come back” or “to return.” When used with prepositions, it indicates coming back from a specific location.

DEJe reviens de France.I’m coming back from France.
DUNous revenons du Canada.We’re coming back from Canada.
DESIls reviennent des Pays-Bas.They’re coming back from the Netherlands.

Venir

“Venir” means “to come.” When used with prepositions, it indicates the origin or departure point of the action.

DEJe viens d’Espagne.I come from Spain.
DUNous venons du Japon.We come from Japan.
DESIls viennent des Bahamas.They come from the Bahamas.

Rentrer

“Rentrer” means “to go back home” or “to return home.” When used with prepositions, it indicates going back home from a specific location.

DETu rentres d’Angleterre?You’re back (home) from England?
DUVous rentrez du Mexique?You’re back (home) from Mexico?
DESJe rentre des États-Unis.I’m back (home) from the United States.

Pay attention to the prepositions: “de,” “du,” and “des” are used to indicate the origin or departure point. Choose the appropriate preposition based on the country that follows the verb.

Practice with different countries and locations: To become familiar with the usage, practice forming sentences using different countries.

Video + Lesson Guide

Watch my video lesson in which I’ll provide clear explanations, engaging examples, and practical tips to help you grasp the concept of the French verbs revenir, venir, rentrer.

Don’t forget to download your free lesson guide, which includes useful examples and additional resources to reinforce your understanding.

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