Spanish infinitive

The Spanish infinitive is one of the most basic forms of verbs in Spanish and, therefore, you should learn to distinguish them during your intensive Spanish course. This verb form is necessary to know how to conjugate the rest of the verbs in Spanish.

In this article from don Quijote, we tell you all about infinitives in Spanish so you can learn how they are used, when they are used and examples of the most used verbs in the language.

You can also read this article in Spanish, French or Italian.

What is a Spanish infinitive?

An infinitive in Spanish is the verbal form that designates an action or state in a general way, without indicating who performs it or when it occurs. It is a non-personal form of the verb, which means that it does not express time, person, number or mood. The infinitive in Spanish can be defined as the base form of the verb, as it appears in the dictionary next to its definition.

In Spanish, infinitives end in -ar, -er or -ir. The three infinitive endings in Spanish are divided into:

Verbs ending in -ar are first conjugation verbs and are the most numerous and regular. Examples of verbs in the Spanish infinitive form -ar: estudiar (to study), caminar (to walk), cantar (to sing), bailar (to dance), madrugar (to wake up early), jugar (to play), buscar (to look for), comprar (to buy), escuchar (to listen), hablar (to talk), llamar (to call), etc.

Verbs ending in -er are in the second conjugation and include many common verbs. Examples of verbs ending in -er: comer (to eat), beber (to drink), coser (to sew), correr (to run), deber (to have to), leer (to read), romper (to break), vender (to sell), comprender (to understand), etc.

Finally, verbs ending in -ir are those of the third conjugation and are the least frequent of the three types of infinitives, even so, they are also very important. Verbs ending in -ir: vivir (to live), escribir (to write), abrir (to open), cubrir (to cover), pedir (to ask), permitir (to allow), recibir (to receive), servir (to serve), decidir (to decide), etc.

When and how is the Spanish infinitive used?

The infinitive in Spanish can appear in different situations. Here, you are going to learn some of them to understand how and when to use the infinitive in Spanish.

The Spanish infinitive can appear after Spanish propositions. For example:

• Antes de salir, cierra la puerta (Before going out, close the door)
• Estoy cansado de trabajar tanto (I'm tired of working so much)

It also appears after conjugated verbs, especially as a complement:

• Quiero estudiar más (I want to study harder)
• Debes descansar (You should rest)

It can also be the subject of a sentence in noun form. For example:

• Viajar es una experiencia enriquecedora (Traveling is an enriching experience)
• Estudiar requiere disciplina (Studying requires discipline)

Or it can be used in verbal periphrases, that is, in the combination of two verbs:                     

• Voy a llamarte más tarde (I'm going to call you later)
• Tenemos que salir ya (We must leave now)

And it can appear in impersonal instructions:

• No fumar (Not smoking)
• Empujar la puerta (Pushing the door)

The infinitive can also take enclitic pronouns, that is, pronouns that are linked to the verb. For example:

• Quiero acostarme temprano (I want to go to bed early)
• Vas a verlo mañana (You're going to see it tomorrow)

In Spanish, unlike English, the particle “to” is not needed to indicate the infinitive. In English the infinitive would be to eat, to go or to look for. Whereas in Spanish you simply use the verb itself: comer, ir or buscar.

Find the Spanish infinitive

Below you will find example sentences with infinitives in Spanish and with other conjugated verbs. In this exercise you will have to identify the Spanish infinitive verb in each sentence and, if you dare, also the Spanish tenses conjugation. Go for it!

• Me encanta viajar por el mundo (I love traveling the world)
• Ayer comimos en un restaurante mexicano (Yesterday we ate at a Mexican restaurant)
• Mañana saldré temprano para evitar el tráfico (Tomorrow I'll leave early to avoid the traffic)
• Antes de salir, revisa que tengas todo (Before leaving, check that you have everything)
• Vamos a visitar a mis abuelos el domingo (We're going to visit my grandparents on Sunday)
• Ojalá llueva mañana (I hope it rains tomorrow)
• He trabajado mucho esta semana (I've worked hard this week)
• Es importante descansar bien por la noche (It's important to get a good night's sleep)
• Ella quiere aprender francés este año (She wants to learn French this year)
• ¿Viste la película que te recomendé? (Did you see the movie I recommended)

Were you able to guess them all? You will find the correct answers at the end of the article.

 If you still don't know how to use the infinitive or have any doubts, sign up for one of our courses to learn Spanish in Spain with qualified teachers. Start your Spanish adventure now and live a unique experience at don Quijote schools in Spain or Latin America.