A List of French Verbs With Correct Prepositions

A List of French Verbs With Correct Prepositions Many French verbs require a certain preposition in order for their meaning to be complete. Some of the verbs are followed by prepositions or de and others by no preposition at all. There is no apparent grammar rule to which verbs require a preposition and which do not, so it is a good idea to memorize the ones that do have a preposition attached.   The list below is organized alphabetically and includes verbs with prepositions. The prepositions are in italics to make them easy to spot. Abbreviation Key: In the French,  quelque chose is listed as qqch and  quelquun is written qqun, and in the English, someone is  s-o  and something is  s-t . French Verbs With Prepositions, A to C (sarbriter croire) sabriter contre (le vent) - to take shelter against (the wind)accepter de - to accept, agree toaccuser (qqun) de - to accuse (s-o) ofacheter - to buy fromacheter (qqch) sur le marchà © - to buy (s-t) at the marketachever de - to finishagir en - to act like/assagir de - to be a question ofaider - to help toaller - to go, to be going toaller vers (midi) - to go at around (noon)aller vers (Nice) - to go toward (Nice)samuser infinitive - to amuse oneself ___-ingapercevoir - to perceive, catch sight ofsapercevoir de - to noticeapprendre - to learn how tosapprà ªter - to get ready tosapprocher de - to approachapprouver - to approve ofappuyer sur (le bouton) - to press (the button)appuyer sur (le mur) - to lean on (the wall)sappuyer contre (un arbre) - to lean against (a tree)arracher - to grab, tear away from(s)arrà ªter de - to stop ___-ingarriver - to manage/succeed in ___-ingarriver de (Paris, Canada) - to arrive from (Paris, Canada)arriver par - to succeed through/byarriver sur (midi) - to arrive at around (noon)sasseoir contre (son ami) - to sit next to (ones friend)assister (la rà ©union) - to attend (the meeting)sassurer contre (lincendie) - to insure against (fire)attendre - to wait forsattendre - to expect tosautoriser - to authorize / allow toavertir de - to warn aboutavoir - to have to / be obliged toavoir beau (jai beau essayer) - despite doing (despite trying)avoir besoin de - to needavoir confiance en - to trustavoir envie de - to wantavoir peur de - to be afraid of ___-ingse battre contre - to fight againstblà ¢mer de - to blamese blottir contre (sa mà ¨re, son chien) - to cuddle up next to (ones mother, dog)boire qqchose dans (une tasse) - to drink something out of (a cup)casser en (morceaux, trois) - to break in(to) (pieces, three)cesser de - to stop, cease ___-ingchanger de (train) - to change (trains)se changer en - to change intochercher - to look forchercher - to attempt tochercher dans (la boà ®te) - to look in (the box)chois ir de - to choose tocommander ( qqun) de faire - to order (someone) to docommencer - to begin to, to begin ___-ingcommencer par - to begin by ___-ingcompter - to expect, intendcompter pour - to be worthcompter sur - to count onconcentrer sur - to concentrate oncondamner pour (meurtre) - to sentence for (murder)conseiller - to adviseconseiller qqun de faire qqch - to advise someone to do somethingconseiller de - to advise toconsentir - to consent tose contenter de - to be happy ___-ingcontinuer /de - to continue to, to continue ___-ingconvenir - to please, to be suitable forconvenir de - to agree toconvertir qqch en - to convert s-t intocopier sur qqun - to copy from s-ocouper en (deux) - to cut in (two)courir - to run (to do something)courir dans (lherbe) - to run through (the grass)coà »ter dans (les cent euros) - to cost about (100 euros)craindre de - to fear ___-ingcraindre pour (sa vie) - to fear for (ones life)creuser pour - to dig forcroire - to think, believecroire - t o believe somethingcroire en - to believe incroire qqun sur parole - to take someones word French Verbs With Prepositions, D to I (daigner inviter) daigner  - to deign todà ©cider (qqun)   - to persuade (s-o) todà ©cider de  - to decide tose  dà ©cider   - to make up ones mind todà ©fendre (qqun)  - to forbid (s-o)dà ©fendre   qqun  de  faire  qqch  - to forbid s-o to do  s-tdà ©fendre de (qqch)  - to forbid (s-t)se  dà ©guiser en  - to disguise oneself asdemander  - to ask fordemander (qqun)  - to ask (someone)demander (faire  qqch)  - to ask (for permission to do something)demander   qqun  de  faire  qqch  - to ask s-o to do  s-tse  dà ©pà ªcher de  - to hurry todà ©pendre de  - to depend ondà ©plaire   - to  displease / be  displeasing todà ©ranger  qqun  de  - to bother s-o todescendre  - to go down(stairs)dà ©sirer  - to wantdà ©sobà ©ir   - to disobeydà ©tester  - to hatedevoir  - to have to, be obliged todire   (qqun)  - to say to, to tell (s-o)dire   qqun  de  faire  qqch  - to tell someone to do somethingdirige r  son attention  sur  - to direction ones attention tose  diriger  vers  - to move toward/make/head fordonner  qqch  - to give somethingdonner  qqch  contre  - to give something in exchange fordonner  qqch  Ã‚  qqun  - to give s-o s-t, to give s-t to  s-odonner  sur  - to overlook, open ontodormir  (la  nuit) - to sleep (at night)douter  de  - to doubtà ©changer  qqch  contre  qqch  - to exchange something for s-t elseà ©couter (la radio)  - to listen to (the radio)à ©crire en (encre, franà §ais)  - to write in (ink, French)à ©crire  sur  - to write aboutsefforcer  de  - to endeavor toemmener  - to takesemparer  de  - to grabempà ªcher de  - to prevent, keep from ___-ingsempresser  de  - to hurry toemprunter  un livre   qqun  - to borrow a book from  s-oencourager  qqun  Ã‚  faire  - to encourage s-o to dosendormir  sur  (un livre, son travail)  - to fall asleep (over a book, at work )sengager  Ã‚  - to get around toennuyer  qqun  de  - to bother/upset s-o toenseigner  Ã‚  - to teach toentendre  - to hearentrer  - to enter (in order to do something)entrer  dans  - to enterenvoyer  (qqch) (qqun)  - to send (s-t) to (s-o)envoyer  chercher  - to send foressayer  - to try onessayer de  - to try tosà ©tendre  sur  - to spread out oversà ©tonner de  - to be astonished byà ªtre  Ã‚  - to belong toà ªtre censà ©Ã‚  - to be supposed toà ªtre en colà ¨re  contre  - to be angry atà ªtre pour  - to be in favor ofà ªtre vers (Paris, 3h00)  - to be around/near (Paris, 3:00)sexcuser  de  - to apologize for ___-ingse  fà ¢cher  contre  - to get mad atfaillir  - to almost do somethingfaire   infinitive  (causative) - to cause tofaire  attention  Ã‚  - to pay attention tofalloir  (il  faut)  - to be necessary tofà ©liciter  qqun  de  - to congratulate s-o for/onfermer  la  porte  sur  soi  - to close the door behind oneselfse  fier   (qqun)  - to trust (s-o)se  figurer  - to imagine, picturefinir  de  - to finish ___-ingfinir  par  - to end up ___-ing / to finally do  s-tfouiller  dans  (qqch)  - to look through (s-t)goà »ter   qqch  - to taste somethinggrignoter  qqch  - to nibble on, eat away at somethinggronder  de  - to scold for ___-inghabiter  ()  - optional preposition - to live inhabiter  par (ici)  - to live around (here)shabituer  Ã‚  - to get used tose  hà ¢ter de  - to hurry tohà ©riter de (qqch  /  qqun)  - to inherit (s-t / from s-o)hà ©siter   - to hesitate toignorer  - to be unaware ofsimaginer  - to imagineinterdire  Ã‚  - to forbidinterdire  Ã‚  qqun  de  faire  qqch  - to forbid s-o to do  s-tsintà ©resser   - to be interested ininterroger  qqun  sur  qqch  - to question s-o about  s-tinviter (qqun)   - to invite (s-o) to French Verbs With Prepositions, J to P (jeter punir de) jeter (qqch)   - to throw (s-t) tose jeter sur qqun  - to throw oneself upon someonejouer  Ã‚  - to play (a game or a sport)jouer de  - to play (an instrument)jouir de  - to enjoyjurer par  - to swear bylaisser  - to allowlaisser pour (mort)  - to leave for (dead)lire dans (le journal)  - to read in (the paper)loucher sur  - to oglemanger dans la main qqun  - to eat out of someones handmanger dans lassiette  - to eat off of a platemanquer  Ã‚  - to miss someonemanquer de  - to neglect, fail to (do s-t), to lackse mà ©fier de  - to distrust, beware ofmà ªler   - to mingle with / to join inmà ©riter de  - to deserve tomà ©surer en (mà ¨tres)  - to measure in (meters)mettre  - to put onmettre son espoir dans  - to pin ones hopes onse mettre   - to start, set about ___-ingse mettre contre le mur  - to stand against the wallse mettre en colà ¨re  - to get madse mettre en route  - to set outmonter  - to go up, climbse moquer  de  - to make fun ofnier  - to denynuire   - to harmobà ©ir   - to obeyobliger   - to oblige toobtenir qqch par  - to obtain something bysoccuper de  - to be busy withoffrir de  - to offer toordonner qqun de faire qqch  - to order s-o to do s-toser  - to dareoublier de  - to forget toparaà ®tre  - to appear, seempardonner   - to pardon, forgiveparler   - to talk toparler de  - to talk aboutparler pour  - to speak on behalf ofpartir  dans (10 minutes)  - to leave in (10 minutes)partir dans (les montagnes)  - to leave for (the mountains)partir de  - to leavepartir pour  - to leave for/be off toparvenir   - to succeed in ___-ingse  passer  de  - to do withoutpasser du temps   - to spend time ___-ingpayer (le repas)  - to pay for (the meal)payer pour (qqun)  - to pay for (someone)se pencher pour  - to bend down in order topenser  faire  - to plan on, intend topenser   - to think about (imagine)penser de  - to think about (o pinion)perdre du temps   - to waste time ___-ingpermettre   - to permit(se) permettre de  - to allow (oneself) topermettre qqun de faire qqch  - to allow s-o to do s-tpersister   - to persist in ___-ingpersuader de  - to persuade tose plaindre de  - to complain aboutplaire   - to please / be pleasing tose plaire   - to take pleasure in ___-ingpleurer  - to cry aboutpleuvoir dans (la France)  - to rain in (France)pousser (qqun)   - to push/urge (s-o) topouvoir  - to be able toprà ©fà ©rer  - to preferprà ©fà ©rer ___ ___  - to prefer ___ to/over ___, to like ___ more than ___prendre  garde de  - to be careful not toprendre le parti de  - to decide toprendre modà ¨le sur qqun  - to model oneself on someoneprendre qqch dans (une boà ®te)  - to take s-t from (a box)prendre qqun par (la main)  - to take s-o by (the hand)se prà ©parer   - to prepare oneself tose presser de  - to hurry toprà ©tendre  - to claimprier  - to pray top rier de  - to beg toprofiter   - to benefit / be profitable toprofiter de  - to make the most ofpromettre qqun de faire qqch  - to promise s-o to do s-tpromettre de  - to promise toproposer de  - to suggest ___-ingpuer  - to stink ofpunir de  - to punish for French Verbs With Prepositions, Q to V (questionner voyager) questionner qqun sur qqch  - to question s-o about s-tquà ªter pour (les orphelins)  - to collect for (orphans)recommencer   - to begin ___-ing againrecompenser de  - to reward forrà ©flà ©chir   - to consider ___-ingrà ©flà ©chir sur  - to think about, reflect uponrefuser de  - to refuse toregarder  - to watch, look atregarder dans (la boà ®te)  - to look in (the box)regarder vers (le sud)  - to face/look (south)rà ©gner sur  - to reign overregretter de  - to regret ___-ingrejeter une faute sur qqun  - to place the blame on someoneremercier de  - to thank for ___-ingremercier pour  - to thank forse rendre compte  de  - to realizerenoncer   - to give up ___-ingrentrer  - to go homerà ©pondre   - to answerrà ©sister   - to resistressembler   - to resembleressembler par  - to resemble due torester sur la dà ©fensive  - to stay on the defensiverester sur ses gardes  - to keep ones guard upretourner  - to return, go backrà ©u ssir  - to make a success of, to pull offrà ©ussir   - to succeed in ___-ingrà ©ussir lexamen  - to pass the testrevenir  - to come backrevenir sur (un sujet)  - to go back over (a topic)rà ªver   - to dream of ___-ingrà ªver de  - to dream of ___-ingrire de  - to laugh atrisquer  - to risk (something)risquer de  - to risk ___-ingsauter sur une occasion  - to jump at an opportunitysavoir  - to know howsembler  - to seemsentir  - to feel, to smell (of)serrer la main (qqun)  - to shake hands with (s-o)serrer qqun contre sa poitrine/son coeur  - to hug someoneservir  - to serveservir   - to be used as/forservir de  - to put to use asse servir de  - to make use ofsigner pour (quelquun)  - to sign on behalf of (someone)soigner  - to take care ofsonger   - to dream / think ofsopposer   - to opposesortir  - to go out (in order to do something)sortir par (la fenà ªtre)  - to leave by (the window)se soucier de  - to care aboutsouha iter  - to wishse souvenir de  - to remembersubir  - to be subjected tosuccà ©der   - to succeed, followsupplier de  - to be / beseechsurvivre   - to survivetà ¢cher de  - to try totarder   - to delay / be late in ___-ingtà ©là ©phoner qqun  - to calltà ©là ©phoner qqun de faire qqch  - to call s-o to do s-ttà ©là ©phoner pour (le problà ¨me)  - to phone about (the problem)tenir  Ã‚  - to hold (s-o) to, to insist on ___-ingtenir de  - to take after, resembletirer sur  - to shoot attourner sur (là ©glise, la droite)  - to turn (toward the church, right)tourner vers (la droite)  - to turn to (the right)traduire en (franà §ais)  - to translate into (French)traduire vers (le franà §ais)  - to translate into (French)transformer qqch (en qqch)  - to change s-t (into s-t)travailler pour  - to work forse tromper de  - to mistaketroquer qqch contre qqch  - to swap something for s-t elsevaloir mieux  - to be preferablese vendre en (b outeilles)  - to be sold in (bottles)venir  (dà ®ner, aider)  - to come (for dinner, to help)venir   - to happen tovenir de  - to have just (done s-t)venir par (la cà ´te)  - to come along/by (the coast)vivre dans (la misà ¨re, la peur)  - to live in (poverty, fear)vivre de (ses rentes)  - to live on (ones income)voir  - to seevoter contre  - to vote againstvoter pour  - to vote forvouloir  - to wantvoyager en (train, taxi)  - to travel by (train, taxi)