Hi Mary Anne,

The need is to just find the telephone number.  --> J'ai juste besoin de le trouver.

Or

"I must just find the telephone number"   --> Je dois juste le trouver 

In each case "le" is "it" (the telephone number)

Hope this helps.

Jim

Thank you.  I understand the part about 'le."  I was worried about putting "de le" together.  You left it that way in your example so I guess it;'s okay.

Hi Mary Anne,

Don't forget the "need" expression is "avoir besoin de"

Suspect that you may be confusing the "de" from above with the "le" for "it" the telephone number.

Sorry if I'm wrong -- just a thought.

Jim

First, I apologize my first sentence is not as I intended.  I copy pasted the correction and the past took the corrections out and left something I never intended.

As for my question, I understand the "de" goes with "besoin. " I understand that the "le" is the object of trouver.  But when you create the sentence you get  "besoin de le trouver."  I was asking does this have to become "du."  I am thinking, "No,"  But I wanted to get confirmation.  Here is the complete sentence: " J'ai juste besoin de le trouver."  Thanks for your help.

Hi Mary Anne,

You clearly understand correctly.  --  Had you used "du" this would have appeared to take the meaning of a partitive article which would have needed to come before an uncountable noun.

Bonne Journée

Jim

You only contract de with le if le is the indefinite article. Not if le is used as an object pronoun.