de
of; 's (possession or relationship)
C'est le sac de mon pote.
It's my friend's bag.
from (origin, source, departure)
Elle vient de Marseille.
She comes from Marseille.
some (partitive); any (in negative); used after expressions of quantity (e.g., beaucoup de)
Je n'ai pas d'argent sur moi.
I don't have any money on me.
marks the immediate past in the periphrasis venir de + infinitive (have/has just ...)
Je viens de finir mon boulot.
I just finished my work.
about; concerning
indicates contents, measure or material (a glass of wine; a statue of bronze)
Un verre de vin, s'il vous plaît.
A glass of wine, please.
Notes
GENERAL INFO
De is a very common French preposition meaning "of," "from," or "about." It indicates origin, possession, or a part of something.
USAGE
It's used for:
Possession: *le livre de Paul* (Paul's book)
Origin: *venir de Paris* (to come from Paris)
Quantity: *beaucoup de sucre* (a lot of sugar)
Material: *une maison de pierre* (a stone house)
Complements: *content de t'aider* (happy to help you)
TRAPS
Watch out for mandatory contractions: de + le becomes du, and de + les becomes des.
Before a vowel or silent 'h', de becomes d' (e.g., *d'eau*).
In negative sentences, *un/une/des* often becomes de: *Je n'ai pas de voiture*.
