Spanish Infinitives

By now you're used to using infinitives (the form of a verb that ends in –AR, -ER, or –IR) in a variety of ways. However, did you realize that an infinitive can be used as a subject or the object of a preposition?

In English, when a verb is used as a verbal noun, an –ing word is used. Examples include, "I like singing," "Diving is fun," or, "Before eating, I washed the dishes." If you translated these directly into Spanish, you may be tempted to use the present participle (such as cantando, buceando, comiendo). This would be incorrect. Use the infinitive instead.

Spanish Infinitives – examples

Used as a Subject

Imitar es la forma más sincera de halagar.
—Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Estar a tiempo es importante
—Being on time is important

Used as the Object of a Preposition

Lo hice sin pensar en las consecuencias
—I did it without thinking of the consequences

Para poder respirar bajo el agua, necesitas tanques de aire
—To be able to breath under water, you need air tanks

Antes de explicar la lección, la profesora nos dio algunas hojas de papel
—Before explaining the lesson, the professor gave us some sheets of paper

Spanish Infinitives as Commands

hen you see signs in public places, you'll often see the infinitive form of a verb used as a command.

NO ENTRAR
NO FUMAR
NO PARQUEAR

No entrance
No smoking
No parking

Verbs Followed by Spanish Infinitives

There are many, many verbs in Spanish that are followed by a preposition (usually a, de, or en) and an infinitive. Some of these include: enseñar a to teach (something)

ir a
pensar en
tener que
tratar de

to go to
to think about
to have to
to try to

Por ejemplo:

Sensory Verbs

You are already familiar with using the infinitive form of a verb after words like poder, saber, and querer. (Examples include: "Puedo hacerlo," "Sé nadar," and "Quiero ir.")

However, did you know that sensory verbs like to hear, to see, or to feel, are also followed by an infinitive? Watch out for the word order: the infinitive will come directly after the conjugated sensory verb, followed by the direct object.

Por ejemplo:

In the next section we'll talk about two VERY important Spanish words – Spanish Prepositions Part 3: POR and PARA.