Whether to use 'de' with a verb or 'a'

Is there a set rule to know when to use 'de' with a verb or 'a'?

Sometimes I'll write something where I want to do something to someone and sometimes it will be 'de' and sometimes 'a' so I was wondering if there was a rule or something?

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Permalink Reply by Neil Coffey on February 10, 2012 at 3:16pm

There's no single infallible rule. But there are some tendencies:

- verbs ending in -oir and verbs of 'perception' or verbs of 'declaring'/'believing'/'opinionating' don't generally take either de or à: Je veux venir; Je crois pouvoir le faire; Je t'entends chanter; Je renie avoir volé cet argent; Il déclare avoir assisté à l'attentat etc. Other common verbs in this category include aimer, désirer, souhaiter, préférer and espérer.

- if you'd expect à or de with a noun, then you'd generally get these with a verb: Je suis content de cette opportunité > Je suis content de te voir (There are a few cases where this isn't the case, but not many).

- à tends to indicate the "initiation" of an event: Il commence à parler; Elle se met à étudier etc.

- de tends to indicate either the prevention/interruption of an event, or the 'simple act of doing' it

- if the verb in question would take a 'simple' noun without a preposition-- and it isn't one of the 'perception/opinionating' categories of verbs mentioned above, and there's no reason to expect it to take à, then it will probably take de: Je lui ai permis/offert cette option > Je lui ai permis/offert de faire ce choix.

However, the truth is that many students probably find it easier to start by learning a short list of common constructions, and then trying to "see the wood for the trees" later on.