French Verbs and Expressions with De, Du, De la, Des


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Knowing when to use de vs du, de la, des

For French verbs and expressions that must be followed by the preposition de, the choice of de vs du, de la, des depends on whether the noun that follows is modified and/or specific.

1. With an unmodified noun (no adjective or article), use de:

Il a envie de chocolat.		He wants (some) chocolate.
J’ai besoin de chaussures.		I need (some) shoes.
Tu dois changer de train ici.		You have to change trains here.

Exceptions

With verbs / expressions like avoir peur de and se méfier de plus a noun, you’re talking about that noun in its entirety, so the direct object is required.

J’ai peur des souris.		I’m afraid of (all) mice.
Elle se méfie de la police.		She mistrusts (all) the police.

2. With an unspecific noun preceded by an adjective, use de:

Il a envie de bon chocolat.		He wants (some) good chocolate.
Elle se sert de grands oreillers.		She’s using big pillows.
J’ai besoin de bonnes chaussures.		I need (some) good shoes.

3. With a modified, specific noun, use de + definite article.

Il a envie du bon chocolat que tu m’as donné.		He wants the good chocolate that you gave me.
Elle se sert des grands oreillers dans le salon.		She’s using the big pillows in the living room.
Nous voulons profiter des nouveaux accords.		We want to take advantage of the new agreements.
Il s’agit de la réforme agraire.		It’s a question of land reform.