# Looking for an acronym to remember French verbs that are not followed by any preposition
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-acronym-to-remember-french-verbs-that-are-not-followed-by-any-preposition/955162
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 29, 2021, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-acronym-to-remember-french-verbs-that-are-not-followed-by-any-preposition/955162 "2021-11-29T21:00:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2021, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-acronym-to-remember-french-verbs-that-are-not-followed-by-any-preposition/955162/1 "2021-11-29T21:00:11Z")
I’m hoping someone has an acronym/mnemonic for remembering those French verbs that are not followed by any prepositions. I don’t mind if the mnemonic is in French.
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### Author:  [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2021, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-acronym-to-remember-french-verbs-that-are-not-followed-by-any-preposition/955162/2 "2021-11-30T18:39:17Z")
Wanting to help, but have you some examples in mind?
does “Aller à” "venir de " are what you have in mind?
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### Author:  [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-acronym-to-remember-french-verbs-that-are-not-followed-by-any-preposition/955162/3 "2021-12-01T03:53:32Z")
Thanks FrenchDunadan. I’m referring to the verbs that are dubbed ‘verbs without prepositions’ (confusingly referred to in websites in English at least as ‘verbs without prepositions’ but are in fact followed by prepositions depending on whether the verb is followed by a person, thing or infinitive ). So what I am looking for is mnemonics that will help me remember those verbs that will not be followed by a preposition (except in certain circumstances by à or de). ‘Aimer’ is never (to my knowledge ) followed by a preposition. Nor are the verbs ‘voir’, ‘savoir’ or préferer.
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### Author:  [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-acronym-to-remember-french-verbs-that-are-not-followed-by-any-preposition/955162/4 "2021-12-01T14:07:44Z")
Unfortunately, there is no clear mnemonic, except in the sense that some are verbs of perception ( “voir”, “sentir” ) or sentiment (“aimer”, “haïr”) or action (“marcher”, “courir”) but there are exceptions ( "toucher " “rêver”)
you can try here:
> **[Les prépositions de, à ou rien après le verbe ?](https://regardsurlefrancais.com/2020/10/05/les-prepositions-de-a-ou-rien-apres-le-verbe/)**
>
> En français, parfois, on ne met rien entre le verbe et l’objet de la phrase : Je mange une orange. Parfois, on met la préposition à : Elle parle à Marc. Et dans cer…
or here:
[https://www.connectigramme.com/preposition.html/verbes-prep.html](https://www.connectigramme.com/preposition.html/verbes-prep.html)
in French, as a rule, everything is an exception 😃
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### Author:  [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-acronym-to-remember-french-verbs-that-are-not-followed-by-any-preposition/955162/5 "2021-12-01T15:20:05Z")
Thank you FrenchDunadan
I’m surprised there isn’t some French ditty to remember these rules. Eh bien, c;'est comme ça!
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### Author:  [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-acronym-to-remember-french-verbs-that-are-not-followed-by-any-preposition/955162/6 "2021-12-02T16:13:58Z")
We use it automatically with the habit. And that’s a problem when learning English.