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Linking verbs with 'de' before an infinitive

When you want to put two verbs together in English, you usually place the word to between them. For example, you say I decided to leave or He forgot to call. In French, putting two verbs together is not always that simple.

Instead of a single word like to, French verbs use different prepositions to connect to a following infinitive. The tricky part for English speakers is that there is no logical rule for which preposition to use. A very large family of French verbs requires the preposition de. If you use verbs like essayer, oublier, or décider, you must memorize that they are always followed by de before the next verb.

Word list
avoir besoinA1 to need avoir besoin de faire = to need to do direA1 to say dire à qqn de faire = to tell someone to do écrireA1 to write écrire à qqn de faire = to write to someone to do se souvenirA1 to remember se souvenir de faire = to remember to do avoir peurA2 to fear avoir peur de faire = to be afraid of doing avoir raisonA2 to be right avoir raison de faire = to be right to do choisirA2 to choose choisir de faire = to choose to do déciderA2 to decide décider de faire = to decide to do essayerA2 to try essayer de faire = to try to do finirA2 to end finir de faire = to finish doing offrirA2 to offer offrir de faire = to offer to do oublierA2 to forget oublier de faire = to forget to do permettreA2 to let permettre à qqn de faire = to allow someone to do promettreA2 to promise promettre de faire = to promise to do rêverA2 to dream rêver de faire = to dream of doing terminerA2 to end terminer de faire = to finish doing accepterB1 to accept accepter de faire = to agree to do arrêterB1 to stop arrêter de faire = to stop doing avoir envieB1 to feel like avoir envie de faire = to feel like doing avoir honteB1 to be ashamed avoir honte de faire = to be ashamed of doing avoir tortB1 to make a mistake avoir tort de faire = to be wrong to do blâmerB1 to blame blâmer qqn d'avoir fait = to blame someone for doing conseillerB1 to advise conseiller à qqn de faire = to advise someone to do continuerB1 to continue continuer de ou à faire = to continue to do convaincreB1 to convince convaincre qqn de faire = to convince someone to do craindreB1 to fear craindre de faire = to fear doing demanderB1 to ask for demander à qqn de faire = to ask someone to do empêcherB1 to stop empêcher qqn de faire = to prevent someone from doing éviterB1 to avoid éviter de faire = to avoid doing mériterB1 to deserve mériter de faire = to deserve to do pardonnerB1 to forgive pardonner à qqn d'avoir fait = to forgive someone for doing persuaderB1 to convince persuader qqn de faire = to persuade someone to do proposerB1 to suggest proposer (à qqn) de faire = to suggest/offer to do punirB1 to punish punir qqn d'avoir fait = to punish someone for doing rappelerB1 to remind rappeler à qqn de faire = to remind someone to do recommanderB1 to recommend recommander à qqn de faire = to recommend that someone do refuserB1 to refuse refuser de faire = to refuse to do remercierB1 to thank remercier qqn d'avoir fait = to thank someone for doing reprocherB1 to blame reprocher à qqn de faire = to blame someone for doing s'assurerB1 to make sure s'assurer de faire = to make sure to do s'efforcerB1 to make an effort s'efforcer de faire = to try hard to do s'excuserB1 to apologize s'excuser d'avoir fait = to apologize for doing se permettreB1 to afford se permettre de faire = to afford to do se plaindreB1 to complain se plaindre de faire = to complain about doing suggérerB1 to suggest suggérer à qqn de faire = to suggest that someone do tenterB1 to try tenter de faire = to try to do accuserB2 to accuse accuser qqn d'avoir fait = to accuse someone of doing avoir l'intentionB2 to intend avoir l'intention de faire = to intend to do cesserB2 to stop cesser de faire = to stop doing commanderB2 to command commander à qqn de faire = to order someone to do (formal) faire semblantB2 to pretend faire semblant de faire = to pretend to do féliciterB2 to congratulate féliciter qqn d'avoir fait = to congratulate someone on doing jurerB2 to swear jurer de faire = to swear to do menacerB2 to threaten menacer de faire = to threaten to do négligerB2 to neglect négliger de faire = to neglect to do ordonnerB2 to command ordonner à qqn de faire = to order someone to do prévoirB2 to intend prévoir de faire = to plan to do prierB2 to beg prier qqn de faire = to beg someone to do regretterB2 to regret regretter de faire = to regret doing risquerB2 to risk risquer de faire = to risk doing s'efforcerB2 to struggle s'efforcer de faire = to struggle to do se contenterB2 to settle for se contenter de faire = to settle for doing se dépêcherB2 to hurry se dépêcher de faire = to hurry to do se dépêcherB2 to hurry se dépêcher de faire = to rush to do se presserB2 to hurry se presser de faire = to rush to do soupçonnerB2 to suspect soupçonner qqn d'avoir fait = to suspect someone of doing supplierB2 to beg supplier qqn de faire = to beg someone to do suspecterB2 to suspect suspecter qqn d'avoir fait = to suspect someone of doing désespérerC1 to give up hope désespérer de faire = to despair of doing implorerC1 to beg implorer qqn de faire = to implore someone to do presserC1 to urge presser qqn de faire = to urge someone to do se hâterC1 to hurry se hâter de faire = to hurry to do se vanterC1 to brag se vanter de faire = to brag about doing
How it works

The structure is straightforward. You take your main conjugated verb, add the preposition de, and then place the second verb in its infinitive form. Remember that before a vowel sound, de becomes d'.

Elle a décidé de partir tôt.
(She decided to leave early.)

When you read these sentences, do not translate de as of. In this context, it simply functions as the glue between the two verbs, much like the English to.

J'ai oublié d'acheter du pain.
(I forgot to buy bread.)
Nous avons besoin de dormir.
(We need to sleep.)
The words

Many common actions fall into this category. It helps to group them by meaning to make memorization easier. First, verbs related to choices and decisions often take de. This includes décider, choisir, accepter, and refuser.

Il refuse de manger ses légumes.
(He refuses to eat his vegetables.)
Vous avez choisi de rester ici.
(You chose to stay here.)

Another helpful group includes verbs about starting, trying, and stopping. Words like essayer, tenter, arrêter, cesser, finir, and terminer all belong to this family.

Tu dois arrêter de fumer.
(You must stop smoking.)
Elle essaie de comprendre la leçon.
(She is trying to understand the lesson.)

You will also see de used heavily with expressions built around the verb avoir, such as avoir envie, avoir besoin, avoir peur, and avoir l'intention.

Ils ont peur de tomber.
(They are afraid of falling.)

Finally, many reflexive verbs require de before an infinitive. Common examples are se dépêcher, se souvenir, se plaindre, and s'efforcer.

Je me dépêche de finir mon travail.
(I am hurrying to finish my work.)
Watch out

Most verbs strictly take one preposition, but there is an important exception. The verb continuer is unique because it allows you to use either à or de before an infinitive, with no difference in meaning. You can choose whichever feels more natural to you.

Nous continuons de marcher sous la pluie.
(We continue to walk in the rain.)
Nous continuons à marcher sous la pluie.
(We continue to walk in the rain.)

Also, keep in mind that placing a negative word like pas around the infinitive works differently than with conjugated verbs. The ne and pas stay together before the infinitive, directly after the de.

Il a choisi de ne pas venir.
(He chose not to come.)
Summary

Unlike English, which uses to as a universal link between verbs, French assigns specific prepositions to specific verbs. A major group of verbs, including essayer, décider, oublier, and expressions with avoir, require the preposition de before an infinitive. Learning these verbs as a distinct family will help you link ideas naturally.