Adjectifs suivis de prépositions
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When describing someone as capable of doing or determined to do something, a preposition is required between the adjective and verb.
In French, the choice of preposition depends on the adjective that precedes it, not the verb that follows.
This lesson is specifically about adjectives with the personal verb ĂȘtre. Prepositions after impersonal expressions like il est impossible have their own rules.
Adjectives + Ă
Adjectives related to some kind of ability, attitude, or imminent action are generally followed by Ă plus an infinitive or noun.
ĂȘtre acharnĂ© Ă | to be determined to | |
ĂȘtre apte Ă | to be capable of | |
ĂȘtre autorisĂ© Ă | to be authorized to | |
ĂȘtre dĂ©cidĂ© Ă | to be determined to | |
ĂȘtre destinĂ© Ă | to be destined to | |
ĂȘtre dĂ©terminĂ© Ă | to be determined to | |
ĂȘtre disposĂ© Ă | to be willing to | |
ĂȘtre empressĂ© Ă | to be eager/anxious to | |
ĂȘtre fondĂ© Ă | to have good reason to | |
ĂȘtre habile Ă | to be good at | |
ĂȘtre habituĂ© Ă | to be used to | |
ĂȘtre inapte Ă | to be incapable of | |
ĂȘtre ingĂ©nieux Ă | to be clever at | |
ĂȘtre lent Ă | to be slow in/at | |
ĂȘtre long Ă | to take a long time to | |
ĂȘtre occupĂ© Ă | to be busy (doing) | |
ĂȘtre portĂ© Ă | to be inclined to | |
ĂȘtre prĂȘt Ă | to be ready to | |
ĂȘtre rĂ©solu Ă | to be resigned to / set on |
Note that in English, the preposition is "of" or "at" when it’s followed by the gerund (doing) and "to" when it’s followed by the infinitive (do).
Adjectives + de
Adjectives related to feelings, states of mind, and obligation are usually followed by de plus a noun or infinitive.
ĂȘtre capable de* | to be capable of | |
ĂȘtre content de | to be happy to | |
ĂȘtre déçu de | to be disappointed to | |
ĂȘtre dĂ©sireux de | to be anxious/desirous to | |
ĂȘtre dĂ©solĂ© de | to be sorry to | |
ĂȘtre enchantĂ© de | to be delighted to | |
ĂȘtre fana de (informal) | to be crazy about / mad keen on | |
ĂȘtre fatiguĂ© de | to be tired of | |
ĂȘtre fĂ©ru de | to be very interested in / keen on | |
ĂȘtre fier de | to be proud to | |
ĂȘtre forcĂ© de | to be forced to | |
ĂȘtre heureux de | to be happy to | |
ĂȘtre impatient de | to be impatient/anxious to | |
ĂȘtre las de | to be tired of | |
ĂȘtre libre de | to be free to | |
ĂȘtre mĂ©content de | to be unhappy about | |
ĂȘtre mordu de (informal) | to be crazy about | |
ĂȘtre obligĂ© de | to be obliged to | |
ĂȘtre passionnĂ© de | to be passionate about | |
ĂȘtre ravi de | to be delighted to | |
ĂȘtre reconnaissant de | to be grateful for | |
ĂȘtre satisfait de | to be satisfied to | |
ĂȘtre sĂ»r de | to be sure to | |
ĂȘtre surpris de | to be surprised to | |
ĂȘtre susceptible de | to be likely to | |
ĂȘtre triste de | to be sad/sorry to |
* I know, this indicates ability but takes de. What can I say? French likes to keep us on our toes.
Adjectives + pour
Pour is required in the following construction:
assez / trop + adjective + pour + infinitive
Par exemple…
Tu es assez studieux pour aller Ă l’universitĂ©. | You’re studious enough to go to college. | |
Il fait trop beau pour travailler. | The weather is too nice to work. |
Related lessons
- Ătre conjugations
- Adjectives
- Infinitives
- Nouns
- Prepositions
- Prepositions after impersonal expressions
- Prepositions after verbs
In italiano
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Il est temps de faire ça. I would think this would be Ă faire ça because it represents imminent action. Or, the phrase, ” je n’ai rien Ă voir avec lui” Since this represents feelings… not wanting to see him ever again… why not use “de voir”? I understand I need to memorize verbs with Ă ou de but when it comes to situations like this, I’m lost. Can’t wait to see your answer! Thank you!
Unfortunately, many situations are unique. Rien Ă voir is a set expression; there is no explanation for Ă other than that, as far as I know. Also, note that while voir literally means “see,” this expression is idiomatic: it means “nothing to do with.” See the link above for detailed info.
As for il est temps, I don’t know where you got the notion about imminent action – I don’t know of any rule about that and prepositions. This is an impersonal expression, for which the rules are very specific: it depends on what il represents (real subject vs dummy subject). See https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/using-impersonal-expressions/ for info