🎯 Master Collocations
Verbs with Dependent Prepositions
One of the most frequent traps in language learning is literal translation of prepositions. In Spanish you dream with (soñar con), in French you think to (penser à), and in German you wait on (warten auf). Use this reference and interactive quiz to memorize them permanently.
⚡ Quick Preposition Quiz
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🇪🇸 soñar
+ con Meaning: to dream about / of
"Siempre sueño con viajar por el mundo."
💡 Grammar Tip: In Spanish you dream 'with' (con), never 'de' or 'sobre'.
🇪🇸 pensar
+ en Meaning: to think about
"¿En qué estás pensando?"
💡 Grammar Tip: Use 'en' for thinking about someone/something; use 'de' only for opinion (¿Qué piensas de esto?).
🇪🇸 depender
+ de Meaning: to depend on
"Todo depende del clima."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'de' (of), unlike English 'depend on'.
🇪🇸 acordarse
+ de Meaning: to remember
"No me acuerdo de su nombre."
💡 Grammar Tip: Reflexive 'acordarse de' requires 'de'; non-reflexive 'recordar' takes direct object.
🇪🇸 enamorarse
+ de Meaning: to fall in love with
"Se enamoró de su mejor amigo."
💡 Grammar Tip: In Spanish you fall in love 'of' (de) someone, not 'with'.
🇪🇸 casarse
+ con Meaning: to marry / get married to
"Se casó con un médico."
💡 Grammar Tip: Always 'con' (with), never 'a'.
🇪🇸 ayudar
+ a Meaning: to help (to do)
"Me ayuda a limpiar la casa."
💡 Grammar Tip: Requires 'a' before an infinitive verb.
🇪🇸 insistir
+ en Meaning: to insist on
"Insiste en pagar la cuenta."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'en' + infinitive or subjunctive clause.
🇪🇸 dejar
+ de Meaning: to stop / quit doing
"Dejó de fumar hace un año."
💡 Grammar Tip: Dejar de + infinitive expresses cessation.
🇪🇸 aprender
+ a Meaning: to learn how to
"Estoy aprendiendo a conducir."
💡 Grammar Tip: Requires preposition 'a' before another infinitive.
🇫🇷 rêver
+ de Meaning: to dream of / about
"Je rêve d'habiter à Paris."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'de', never 'sur' or 'avec'.
🇫🇷 penser
+ à Meaning: to think of / about
"Je pense souvent à toi."
💡 Grammar Tip: Penser à = to direct thoughts to; penser de = to have an opinion about.
🇫🇷 dépendre
+ de Meaning: to depend on
"Cela dépend de la situation."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'de' (of), contrary to English 'on'.
🇫🇷 s'intéresser
+ à Meaning: to be interested in
"Il s'intéresse à l'art moderne."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'à' (to), contrary to English 'in'.
🇫🇷 téléphoner
+ à Meaning: to phone / call someone
"J'ai téléphoné à ma mère."
💡 Grammar Tip: Indirect transitive verb requiring 'à' before human object.
🇫🇷 avoir besoin
+ de Meaning: to need
"J'ai besoin de vacances."
💡 Grammar Tip: Fixed idiomatic locution with preposition 'de'.
🇫🇷 essayer
+ de Meaning: to try to
"J'essaie de comprendre."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'de' before an infinitive.
🇫🇷 commencer
+ à Meaning: to begin / start to
"Il commence à pleuvoir."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'à' before an infinitive action.
🇩🇪 warten
+ auf (+ Akk) Meaning: to wait for
"Ich warte auf den Bus."
💡 Grammar Tip: Requires 'auf' with Accusative case.
🇩🇪 denken
+ an (+ Akk) Meaning: to think of / about
"Ich denke oft an dich."
💡 Grammar Tip: Requires 'an' with Accusative case.
🇩🇪 sich freuen
+ auf / über (+ Akk) Meaning: to look forward to / be happy about
"Ich freue mich auf das Wochenende."
💡 Grammar Tip: 'auf' = looking forward to future; 'über' = happy about current/past event.
🇩🇪 abhängen
+ von (+ Dat) Meaning: to depend on
"Es hängt vom Wetter ab."
💡 Grammar Tip: Separable prefix verb requiring 'von' + Dative.
🇩🇪 bitten
+ um (+ Akk) Meaning: to ask for / request
"Er bittet um Hilfe."
💡 Grammar Tip: Requires 'um' with Accusative case.
🇩🇪 sich interessieren
+ für (+ Akk) Meaning: to be interested in
"Interessierst du dich für Musik?"
💡 Grammar Tip: Requires 'für' with Accusative case.
🇮🇹 pensare
+ a Meaning: to think about
"Penso sempre a te."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'a', unlike English 'about'.
🇮🇹 dipendere
+ da Meaning: to depend on
"Dipende dalla decisione."
💡 Grammar Tip: Requires 'da' + definite article.
🇮🇹 sognare
+ di Meaning: to dream of / about
"Sogno di viaggiare in Giappone."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'di' before an infinitive.
🇮🇹 cominciare
+ a Meaning: to start / begin doing
"Comincia a fare freddo."
💡 Grammar Tip: Requires 'a' before an infinitive.
🇬🇧 depend
+ on / upon Meaning: rely on
"Everything depends on your answer."
💡 Grammar Tip: Never 'depend of' (common Spanish/French speaker error).
🇬🇧 listen
+ to Meaning: pay attention to audio
"Listen to me carefully."
💡 Grammar Tip: Always requires 'to' when followed by an object.
🇬🇧 look forward
+ to (+ gerund) Meaning: eagerly anticipate
"I look forward to meeting you."
💡 Grammar Tip: Takes 'to' + -ing verb, not an infinitive!