noun + de + infinitive

ByFast French

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.

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