In French, when one verb follows another, the second verb is usually in its infinitive form. This creates a 'verb chain' that lets you express more complex ideas, like plans, needs, and habits. We'll explore the most common patterns for this.

You already know the verbs 'vouloir' (to want), 'pouvoir' (to be able to), and 'devoir' (to have to). To say you want, can, or must do something, you simply follow the conjugated verb with an infinitive. For example, 'Je veux manger' means 'I want to eat'.