The Infinitive in Spanish.
The infinitive in Spanish is a form of the verb that expresses its meaning, but does not indicate who is performing the action or when it is taking place (whether it is in the present, future, etc.).
In dictionaries, verbs usually appear in this form, as it presents the verb in a neutral way, without being conjugated. In Spanish, the use of the infinitive is much wider than in English, which can be interesting for those who are learning the language.
From our Spanish language school, we help you to use the infinitive as if you were a native speaker.
Let’s start!
Characteristics of the infinitive in Spanish.
Spanish infinitives always end in -ar, -er or -ir. For example:
- Trabajar – (to work)
- Comer – (to eat)
- Vivir – (to live)
These are the three groups of verbs in Spanish, and the conjugation of each of them follows a specific pattern depending on their ending.
The infinitive as a noun.
One of the peculiarities of the infinitive in Spanish is that it can be used as a noun in sentences. This is different from English, where we usually use the gerund (the form of the verb that ends in -ing). Let’s look at some examples:
- Fumar no es sano (Smoking is not healthy.)
- Estudiar español en Valencia es interesante (Studying Spanish in Valencia is interesting.)
- Me gusta cocinar (I like cooking.)
In these sentences, the infinitive acts as the subject or complement of the sentence, just as a noun would.
Verbs used with infinitive.
In Spanish, it is common to find infinitives after certain verbs. In English, we sometimes use the gerund or the infinitive (with or without ‘to’), but in Spanish the infinitive is the predominant form. Here are some examples:
- Por fin puede ir de vacaciones (Finally, he can go on holiday.).
- Odio estudiar matemáticas (I hate studying maths.)
- Mi madre quiere comprar una casa nueva (My mother wants to buy a new house).
As we can see, after verbs like poder, odiar and querer, the infinitive follows the main verb without any further modification.
Verbs + Preposition + Infinitive.
Sometimes, we cannot place the infinitive directly after the previous verb as in the examples above. Instead, we must use a preposition between the verb and the infinitive.
Some of the most common prepositions are a, de, con, en, por and para. Let’s look at some examples:
- Hemos empezado a escribir (We started to write.)
- Me olvidé de desearte suerte con tu examen (I forgot to wish you luck with your exam.)
- Insistimos en hablar con él (We insist on speaking with him.)
- Gracias por atendernos (Thank you for attending us.)
Here, the use of the preposition is essential for the sentence to make sense and be grammatically correct in English.
Infinitive instead of imperative.
Another interesting function of the infinitive in Spanish is its use instead of the imperative, which is the verb form used to give orders, instructions or prohibitions. That is very common in signposts or instruction manuals. For example:
- No entrar. (No entry.)
- No fumar. (No smoking.)
- No tocar. (Don’t touch.)
- Colocar el producto en el sartén, cocinar durante 15 minutos… (Place the product on the pan, cook for 15 minutes…)
In these contexts, the infinitive is used to give a clear and direct instruction without the need to conjugate the verb.
A wide range of possibilities.
The Spanish infinitive is a very versatile tool used in a wide variety of contexts, from simple sentence formation to more complex instructions.
Understanding when and how to use the infinitive is crucial to improve your Spanish skills.
If you are interested in learning more about this and other aspects of the language, come and meet us at El Rincón del Tándem and check out our list of Spanish courses here!
See you next time!
