When to use de and à

Katherine Y.B1Kwiziq community member

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.

This question relates to:French lesson "Moi/toi/lui/elle/soi/nous/vous/eux/elles - advanced usages (French Stress Pronouns)"

Asked 4 years ago

Like0Answer2

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.

Like14 years ago

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

Like14 years ago

Katherine Y. asked:

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.

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