de

//de / d'
1.
preposition

of; 's (possession or relationship)

C'est le sac de mon pote.

It's my friend's bag.

2.
preposition

from (origin, source, departure)

Elle vient de Marseille.

She comes from Marseille.

3.
preposition

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.

4.
preposition

marks the immediate past in the periphrasis venir de + infinitive (have/has just ...)

Je viens de finir mon boulot.

I just finished my work.

5.
preposition

about; concerning

On a parlé de toi hier.

We talked about you yesterday.

Synonyms:au sujet de, concernant
6.
preposition

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*.