VERBS AND INFINITIVES

Many conjugated verbs in French can be followed directly by infinitives.
 

Nous venons livrer l'armoire.

We've come to deliver the wardrobe.

Je vais la peindre.

I'm going to paint it.

Je ne peux pas sortir ce soir.

I cannot go out tonight.

Other verbs require the prepositions à or de before the infinitive.
 

Ils ont oublié de téléphoner.

They forgot to call.

J'ai commencé à travailler.

I began to work.

Nous avons envie de voyager.

We feel like traveling.

Here is a list of common verbs that take infinitives:

NO PREPOSITION REQUIRED
 

aller	to go (future)
vouloir	to want to, wish
pouvoir	to be able to, can
savoir	to know
venir	to come
détester	to hate
aimer	to love, like
préférer	to prefer
devoir	to have to, must
penser	to think
espérer	to hope
il faut	it is necessary
il vaut mieux	it is better

EXAMPLES
 

Je vais travailler cet après-midi.

I'm going to work this afternoon.

Veux-tu m'aider?

Do you want to help me?

Pourriez-vous ouvrir la fenêtre?

Could you open the window?

Je sais programmer.

I know how to program.

DE REQUIRED
 

venir de	to have just
essayer de	to try to
refuser de	to refuse to
avoir peur de	to be afraid of
avoir envie de	to feel like
avoir besoin de	to need to
oublier de	to forget to
être obligé de	to be obliged to
être en train de	to be in the process of

 

Il vient d'arriver.

He has just arriverd.

Martine essaie d'organiser un pique-nique.

Martine is trying to organize a picnic.

J'ai envie d'aller à la plage.

I feel like going to the beach.

À REQUIRED
 

commencer à	to start to
continuer à	to continue to*

 

Il commence à pleuvoir.

It's beginning to rain.

Il continue à parler.

He continues to speak.

*In written French you may very well see de used instead of à.