When to use de and à

Katherine Y.B1Kwiziq community member

When to use de and à

In the example when it says il pense à elle and it means he’s thinking of her. But in another example it says je parle de lui which means I speak of him. So de and à both mean of in these examples so I will as wondering when I would use à and when I would use de.

Asked 4 years ago
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

You can't by go the English translation if you want to decide whether to use de or à. There are some verbs that ask for de and others for à. You just have to learn the preposition along with the verb.

Scott N.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

It also depends on what you want to say.

"Je lui parle" = I talk to him (or her)

"Je parle de lui" = I speak of him

When to use de and à

In the example when it says il pense à elle and it means he’s thinking of her. But in another example it says je parle de lui which means I speak of him. So de and à both mean of in these examples so I will as wondering when I would use à and when I would use de.

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
I'll be right with you...