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Verbs linked with 'à' before an infinitive

When you place two verbs together in English, you usually connect them with the word to. For instance, you learn to speak, or you manage to open a door. In French, the rules for connecting a verb to a following infinitive vary depending on the first verb.

While some verbs connect directly with no preposition, a specific group of verbs requires the preposition à to link to the next action. Verbs related to learning, starting, or succeeding often follow this pattern. If you forget to include à, the sentence will sound incomplete to a French speaker.

Word list
aiderA1 to help aider quelqu'un à faire = to help someone (to) do apprendreA1 to learn apprendre à faire = to learn to do commencerA1 to begin commencer à faire = to begin to do commencerA2 to begin commencer à faire = to start doing enseignerA2 to teach enseigner à faire = to teach to do inviterA2 to invite inviter quelqu'un à faire = to invite someone to do passerA2 to spend passer du temps à faire = to spend time doing penserA2 to think penser à faire = to think/remember to do s'amuserA2 to enjoy oneself s'amuser à faire = to have fun doing arriverB1 to manage arriver à faire = to manage to do avoir plaisirB1 to enjoy avoir plaisir à faire = to enjoy doing chercherB1 to search chercher à faire = to attempt/try to do continuerB1 to continue continuer à faire = to continue to do contribuerB1 to contribute contribuer à faire = to help/contribute to doing parvenirB1 to manage parvenir à faire = to manage to do perdre du tempsB1 to waste time perdre du temps à faire = to waste time doing prendre plaisirB1 to enjoy prendre plaisir à faire = to enjoy doing réussirB1 to manage réussir à faire = to manage to do s'attendreB1 to expect s'attendre à faire = to expect to do s'entraînerB1 to practise s'entraîner à faire = to practise doing s'entraînerB1 to work out s'entraîner à faire = to train to do s'habituerB1 to get used to s'habituer à faire = to get used to doing se préparerB1 to get ready se préparer à faire = to get ready to do avoir tendanceB2 to tend avoir tendance à faire = to tend to do condamnerB2 to sentence condamner quelqu'un à faire = to sentence someone to do forcerB2 to force forcer quelqu'un à faire = to force someone to do hésiterB2 to hesitate hésiter à faire = to hesitate to do obligerB2 to force obliger quelqu'un à faire = to force someone to do renoncerB2 to give up renoncer à faire = to give up doing s'apprêterB2 to get ready s'apprêter à faire = to get ready to do s'apprêter àB2 to be about to s'apprêter à faire = to be about to do encouragerC1 to motivate encourager quelqu'un à faire = to encourage to do exhorterC1 to urge exhorter quelqu'un à faire = to urge someone to do inciterC1 to urge inciter quelqu'un à faire = to urge someone to do pousserC1 to urge pousser quelqu'un à faire = to push/urge someone to do tendreC1 to tend tendre à faire = to tend to do
Learning and Starting

Many common verbs that describe the beginning of an action or the process of acquiring a skill must be followed by à. This includes verbs like apprendre, commencer, and s'entraîner.

J'apprends à parler français.
(I am learning to speak French.)
Il commence à pleuvoir.
(It is starting to rain.)
Elle s'habitue à travailler le soir.
(She is getting used to working in the evening.)

Other useful verbs in this category include se préparer and chercher. The verb chercher usually means to look for, but when followed by à and an infinitive, it means to try or to attempt.

Je cherche à comprendre ce problème.
(I am trying to understand this problem.)
Managing and Succeeding

Another major group of verbs taking à relates to successfully completing an action. If you want to say that you managed to do something, you will likely use arriver, réussir, or parvenir.

Il a réussi à ouvrir la porte.
(He managed to open the door.)
J'apprends à conduire, mais je n'arrive pas à me garer ici.
(I am learning to drive, but I cannot manage to park here.)
Verbs with an Intervening Object

Sometimes, the verb and the preposition à are separated by a person. This happens when the first verb is directed at someone, urging or helping them to do something. You will see this with words like enseigner, encourager, inviter, and the classic word aider.

Le professeur nous encourage à lire tous les jours.
(The teacher encourages us to read every day.)
Mon ami m'a invité à manger chez lui.
(My friend invited me to eat at his place.)
Watch Out

While you should memorise the most common verbs that take à, you will notice some flexibility in everyday usage. For example, the verb continuer typically takes à before an infinitive, but you will sometimes hear or read it with de. Both are grammatically acceptable.

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

Additionally, do not confuse these verbs with verbs that require de. For instance, the common verb hésiter always takes à before an infinitive, but many other opinion or decision verbs take de. When you learn a new verb, always check which preposition it prefers.

Summary

When learning a new French verb, always pay attention to how it links to a following infinitive. Verbs related to learning, starting, succeeding, or encouraging generally require the preposition à to connect to the next action.