When we report what someone told us to do (or asked us to do), we use an indirect command. In English, we typically use the infinitive, like "I told him to prepare the bottle."
In French, this is constructed using a communication verb, followed by the preposition de (or d' before a vowel), and then the infinitive verb.
The basic structure
The standard formula is: [Verb] + à [person] + de + [infinitive]
Common verbs that follow this pattern include:
- dire (to tell)
- demander (to ask)
- interdire (to forbid)
- conseiller (to advise)
Remember that the preposition à will combine with definite articles to form au (à + le) and aux (à + les).
| The mother asks the daycare to watch the baby. | La mère demande à la garderie de surveiller le bébé. |
| The teacher tells the pupils to be polite. | Le professeur dit aux élèves d'être polis. |
| I forbid the boy to throw a tantrum. | J'interdis au garçon de faire un caprice. |
Using indirect object pronouns
Instead of naming the person using à, you will often use an indirect object pronoun like lui (to him / to her) or leur (to them). As always, this pronoun is placed immediately before the main conjugated verb.
| We tell him to prepare the baby bottle. | Nous lui disons de préparer le biberon. |
| We watch the children and forbid them to play here. | Nous surveillons les enfants et nous leur interdisons de jouer ici. |
Negative indirect commands
To report a command not to do something, place ne pas immediately after de and right before the infinitive. Notice how both parts of the negation stay together in front of the infinitive verb.
| The mother asks the father not to spoil the baby. | La mère demande au père de ne pas gâter le bébé. |
