Infinitive of Spanish Verbs

What is the infinitive in Spanish?

The infinitive (el infinitivo) is the basic form of the verb in Spanish.

There are three different infinitive endings: -ar (cantar), -er (comer) or -ir (vivir).

In Spanish grammar, the infinitive can function as a verb or a noun. It is used after certain verbs, adjectives and expressions.

Learn when to use the infinitive with Lingolia then practise in the interactive exercises.

Contents

Me encanta comer. En mi casa se cuida mucho el buen comer. Sabemos que llevar una dieta equilibrada es fundamental para tener salud.

Yo empecé a cuidar mi dieta porque tenía el colesterol alto.

No es fácil encontrar tiempo para cocinar sano todos los días. Pero vale la pena dedicar un poco de tiempo a la alimentación.

Para empezar, basta con beber mucha agua y buscar recetas variadas.

Una amiga me recomendó leer blogs de cocina. Me dan muchas ideas para preparar platos riquísimos. ¡Oído cocina!

What is the infinitive for?

The infinitive form can act as a verb or a noun.

The infinitive as a noun

When acting a noun, the Spanish infinitive can often be translated as the English -ing form (eating, doing, going, etc.).

Example:
Beber mucho agua es bueno para la salud. Drinking plenty of water is good for your health.
here the infinitive acts as a noun: eating

As a noun, the infinitive can be introduced by an article in the masculine singular or an adjective.

Example:
El beber mucho agua es bueno para la salud. Drinking plenty of water is good for your health.
En mi casa se cuida mucho el buen comer. In my house, good food is very important.

There are also many nouns that are derived from the infinitive form. Check out our list of the most common derivatives.

The infinitive as a verb

As a verb, the Spanish infinitive can be translated into English with to … (= to eat, to do, to go, etc.).

Example:
Quiero comer más sano. I want to eat more healthily.
here the infinitive acts as a verb: to eat

The infinitive can be introduced by a preposition.

Example:
Un paseo todos los días es bueno para fortalecer las articulaciones. A daily walk is good to strengthen the joints.

Read on to learn which words trigger the infinitive in Spanish grammar.

When to use the infinitive in Spanish

The infinitive has many uses in Spanish. We use the infinitive:

Examples:
Quiero comer más sano. I want to eat more healthily.
Suelo correr tres veces por semana. I usually go jogging three times a week.
  • after the prepositions antes de and después de (= before/after)
Examples:
Siempre voy al gimnasio antes de ir a la oficina. I always go to the gym before going to the office.
Me gusta dar un paseo después de cenar. I like taking a walk after dinner.
  • in impersonal expressions with the verb ser + adjective
Example:
Es recomendable beber 2 litros de agua al día. It’s advisable to drink two litres of water a day.
Example:
Es un reto cocinar a diario platos variados y saludables. It’s a challenge to cook varied and healthy meals on a daily basis.
  • in orders after the preposition a
Example:
¡A comer! Let’s eat!
Example:
Precalentar el horno a 180º. Preheat the oven to 180º.
  • on posters and signs
Example:
Prohibido fumar. Smoking is prohibited.
No aparcar. No parking.

The infinitive in verbal periphrasis

Verbal periphrasis are grammatical structures formed with a conjugated verb followed by the infinitive.

The infinitive appears in many different types of verbal periphrasis:

  • after transitive verbs like: celebrarto celebrate, conseguirto get, lograrto manage, decidirto decide, desearto wish, esperarto wait/to hope, evitarto avoid, intentarto try, jurarto swear, necesitarto need, pensarto think, planearto plan, preferirto prefer, pretenderto pretend, prometerto promise, proponerseto propose, quererto want, recordar to remember …

Examples:
Quiero comprar una sartén antiadherente. I want to buy a non-stick frying pan.
Espero reducir mi colesterol con esta nueva dieta. I’m hoping to reduce my cholesterol with this new diet.

  • after ser + un/una/possessive + noun: ser una alegríait’s a joy, ser un placerit’s a pleasure, ser una vergüenzait’s a shame, ser mi deberit’s my duty, ser mi obligaciónit’s my duty …

Example:
Es un placer ayudar cuando alguien necesita consejo. It’s a pleasure to help when someone needs advice.

  • after modal verbs: debershould/must, quererto want, poderto be able to, saberto know, solerto usually, tener quehave to/must

Example:
Debes preparar comidas equilibradas. You should make balanced meals.
  • in impersonal expressions with ser + adjective: ser difícilto be difficult, ser fácilto be easy, ser importanteto be important, ser (im)posibleto be (im)possible, ser (in)necesarioto be (un)necessary, ser (in)útilto be useful/useless), ser mejorto be better, ser peorto be worse, ser menesternecessary, ser peligrosoto be dangerous …
Example:
No es fácil encontrar tiempo para cocinar sano todos los días. It’s not easy to find time to cook healthily every day.

The infinitive after a preposition in verbal periphrasis

A verbal periphrasis is a grammatical structure made of up a conjugated verb and an impersonal verb form such as the infinitive.

In a verbal periphrasis, the infinitive often follows one of the following prepositions: a, con, de, para and por.

The structure is as follows: conjugated verb + preposition + infinitive

Example:
Me esfuerzo por encontrar tiempo para cocinar. I make an effort to find time to cook.
esforzarse por + infinitive

→ See our list of infinitive verbal periphrasis with a preposition.

Other verbal periphrasis contain not just a preposition but also a noun or an adjective. Their structure is as follows: conjugated verb + noun/adjective + preposition + infinitive.

Example:
Tengo ganas de investigar nuevas recetas. I feel like looking for new recipes.

→ See our list of infinitive phrases with a noun/adjective and preposition.

The infinitive in clauses with the same subject

When a main clause and a subordinate clause share the same subject, we can use the infinitive instead of the subjunctive in the subordinate clause to make it shorter.

Example:
Sal a pasear a diario para que estires la espalda. Go for a daily walk so that you stretch your back. (subjunctive)
sal → tú, que estires → tú
→ Sal a pasear a diario para estirar la espalda. Go for a daily walk to stretch your back. (infinitive)

Remember

Omit que before the infinitive.

Example:
Sal a pasear a diario para estirar la espalda.
not: Sal a pasear a diario para que estirar la espalda.

If each clause contains a different subject, we must conjugate the verb.

Example:
Mi hermana me ha regalado un libro de cocina para que prepare comida más sana. My sister gave me a cook book to cook healthier food.
subject 1: mi hermana; subject 2: yo
not: Mi hermana me ha regalado un libro de cocina para preparar comida más sana.

Types of sentences that can be shortened with an infinitive

When the main clause and the subordinate clause share a subject, we may use an infinitive in the latter in the following cases:

  • after a preposition of purpose like a fin de, con ánimo de, con el fin de, con (el) objeto de, para … in order to
Example:
Tenemos que entrenar duro para ser los mejores. We have to train hard to be the best.
without an infinitive: Tenemos que entrenar duro para que seamos los mejores.
  • after a conditional preposition like a condición deon the condition that/as long as
Example:
Entrenaré contigo a condición de jugar diariamente. I will train with you as long as we play every day.
without an infinitive: Entrenaré contigo a condición de que juguemos diariamente.
  • after a preposition of time like antes debefore, después deafter)
Example:
Te llamaré después de entrenar. I’ll call you after training.
without an infinitive: Te llamaré después de que entrene.
  • after prepositional phrases like a pesar dedespite, al extremo deto the extent, hasta el punto deto the point of
Example:
A pesar de entrenar muchas horas, no gané. Despite training for many hours, I didn’t win.
without an infinitive: A pesar de que entrené muchas horas, no gané.

Nouns derived from infinitives

In Spanish, there are many nouns that are derived from infinitives.

Some are identical to the infinitive and are used with a masculine article:

Examples:
amanecer → el amanecer, los amaneceres to get light → sunrise(s)
poder → el poder, los poderes to be able to → power(s)

Others are derivatives:

Examples:
comer → la comida to eat → food
beber → la bebida to drink → beverage
salir → la salida to leave → exit

→ See our list of Spanish nouns derived from infinitives.