noun + de + infinitive

In French, when a noun is followed by an infinitive verb, the preposition de is placed between them.

Examples

  1. J’ai l’intention de finir ce projet demain.
    (I intend to finish this project tomorrow.)
  2. Elle a peur de perdre ses clés dans la rue.
    (She is afraid of losing her keys in the street.)
  3. Nous avons eu l’occasion de visiter le Louvre pendant notre voyage.
    (We had the opportunity to visit the Louvre during our trip.)
  4. Il montre toujours la volonté de travailler dur.
    (He always shows the willingness to work hard.)
  5. Tu as le droit de poser des questions après la réunion.
    (You have the right to ask questions after the meeting.)
  6. Elle a exprimé son désir de changer de carrière l’année prochaine.
    (She expressed her desire to change careers next year.)
  7. Ils ont la chance de vivre près de la mer.
    (They are lucky to live near the sea.)
  8. Le gouvernement a annoncé son plan de réduire les impôts.
    (The government announced its plan to reduce taxes.)
  9. J’ai oublié ma promesse de t’aider avec tes devoirs.
    (I forgot my promise to help you with your homework.)
  10. Elle a pris la décision de vendre sa maison.
    (She made the decision to sell her house.)
  11. Il a trouvé une façon de résoudre ce problème rapidement.
    (He found a way to solve this problem quickly.)
  12. Nous devons saisir l’opportunité de développer notre entreprise.
    (We must seize the opportunity to grow our business.)
  13. Il n’a pas la capacité de conduire une voiture manuelle.
    (He doesn’t have the ability to drive a manual car.)
  14. Elle a ressenti le besoin de partir immédiatement.
    (She felt the need to leave immediately.)
  15. Le médecin lui a donné l’ordre de se reposer pendant une semaine.
    (The doctor ordered him to rest for a week.)

Key Observations

  • The construction remains consistent: Noun + de + Infinitive, even when embedded in a full sentence.
  • The infinitive can take its own direct object (finir ce projet, perdre ses clés, visiter le Louvre).
  • Auxiliary verbs (avoir, être) appear in the main clause but do not affect the de + infinitive structure.

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • irregular past participles

    The past participle (participe passé) is a key component of many French verb tenses. While most French verbs form their past participles regularly (-é, -i, or -u endings), some of the most common verbs have irregular past participles. Here are the 30 most frequently used irregular past participles, along with pronunciation guides and examples in…

  • monter

    The French verb monter is a versatile verb with several meanings, primarily “to climb,” “to go up,” or “to mount.” It can also mean “to assemble,” “to set up,” or “to take up” depending on the context. Additionally, its conjugation in the passé composé varies between être and avoir, which changes its meaning slightly. Main…

  • Cleopatra’s nose

    The French expression « le nez de Cléopâtre » (“Cleopatra’s nose”) comes from a famous line by the 17th-century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal. In his Pensées (1670), he wrote: « Le nez de Cléopâtre, s’il eût été plus court, toute la face de la terre aurait changé. »If Cleopatra’s nose had been shorter, the…

  • Reflexive (pronominal) verbs

    French reflexive verbs, also called pronominal verbs, are used when the subject of a sentence is also the object—when someone does something to themselves. These verbs are very common in everyday French and often describe actions related to daily routines, personal care, emotions, and social interactions. Many have both reflexive and non-reflexive forms, depending on…

  • seasons

    French has distinct nouns and adjectives for the four seasons. Some forms are used only as nouns, while others can function as adjectives describing seasonal conditions, including wintry, summery, springlike and autumnal. The four seasons: basic nouns These nouns are used without capital letters unless at the start of a sentence. Usage examples Winter as…

  • archi

    The word “archi” is used in French as a prefix to intensify the meaning of an adjective (and also nouns and other adjectives), much like “super,” “mega,” or “uber” in English. However, it’s important to understand the contexts in which it’s used. 1. Common and Colloquial Use In informal, spoken French, “archi-” is extremely common…