Modal Verbs and the Infinitive Construction

In French, several important verbs are commonly followed directly by an infinitive (the unconjugated base form of a verb). These "modal" or semi-auxiliary verbs express concepts like ability, desire, obligation, and intention. Understanding how to combine a conjugated verb with an infinitive is essential for expressing complex ideas.

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The Core Structure: Conjugated Verb + Infinitive

The pattern is simple: conjugate the first verb according to the subject, then add the second verb in its infinitive form (unchanged).

Subject + conjugated verb + infinitive

Examples:

• Je veux manger. — I want to eat.
• Tu peux venir ? — Can you come?
• Il doit partir. — He must leave.
• Nous allons travailler. — We are going to work.

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Verbs Followed Directly by an Infinitive

These verbs are followed by an infinitive without any preposition:

Verb	Meaning	Example
pouvoir	can / be able to	Je peux nager. (I can swim.)
vouloir	to want	Tu veux jouer ? (Do you want to play?)
devoir	must / have to	Il doit étudier. (He must study.)
savoir	to know how to	Elle sait danser. (She knows how to dance.)
aller	going to (near future)	Nous allons partir. (We're going to leave.)
venir de	to have just	Je viens de manger. (I just ate.)
aimer	to like	J'aime lire. (I like reading.)
adorer	to love	Elle adore chanter. (She loves singing.)
détester	to hate	Il déteste attendre. (He hates waiting.)
préférer	to prefer	Je préfère rester. (I prefer to stay.)
espérer	to hope	J'espère réussir. (I hope to succeed.)
oser	to dare	Tu n'oses pas parler. (You don't dare speak.)
sembler	to seem	Il semble comprendre. (He seems to understand.)
laisser	to let/allow	Laissez-moi parler. (Let me speak.)
faire	to make (causative)	Il fait rire tout le monde. (He makes everyone laugh.)

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Verbs Followed by À + Infinitive

Some verbs require the preposition à before the infinitive: