French verbs followed by a preposition

There are a number of verbs you will come across in French which must always be followed by a particular preposition.

If that sounds like an added challenge when it comes to memorising vocabulary, the good news is that you may already be used to these verbal patterns in English. The bad news is that the verbs which are followed by a preposition in English aren't always the same as the verbs which are followed by a preposition in French - and vice versa.

For example, the English expressions 'wait for', 'listen to' and 'look at' don't take a preposition in French, and are translated as single words (attendre, écouter and regarder respectively).

On the other hand, Anglophone learners of French often forget to supply a preposition alongside common verbs where they're needed. Below we've outlined a selection of these verbs, along with their corresponding preposition.

*the word for 'to miss' - manquer - works the other way round in French. Tu me manques, for instance, would be translated as 'I miss you' - not 'you miss me'

For more details on verbs followed by de and à, be sure to check out Lesson 24 of The Complete French Course.

For more on the uses of 'en' in French, be sure to check out our related blog.