Learn French: Je fais confiance à mon frère.

In English, you trust someone directly, but in French, the expression is faire confiance à (literally, to make trust to). Just like the verbs in this lesson that need à before an infinitive, this expression requires à to connect to the noun that follows it.

Is there a single French verb for 'to trust'?

French doesn't have a single-word verb that is used exactly like the English verb 'to trust'. You might sometimes see se fier à (to rely on), but faire confiance à is the most common and natural way to say you trust someone.

Why isn't there an article before confiance, like de la confiance?

Faire confiance is a fixed verbal expression. In French, when a verb and a noun combine to make a single meaning, the noun often drops its article. This is similar to expressions you already know, like avoir faim (to be hungry) or faire attention (to pay attention).

How would I say 'I trust him' instead of 'I trust my brother'?

Because the expression is faire confiance à, you must use an indirect object pronoun. To replace à mon frère, you use lui (to him), placing it before the verb: Je lui fais confiance.