Infinitives in Portuguese (unconjugated forms of verbs) are used in two main ways: the impersonal infinitive and the personal infinitive. In this lesson, I’ll walk you through them in a bite-sized way. For more details in each tense, follow the appropriate links.
Impersonal Infinitive
The impersonal infinitive is the base form of the verb and is not associated with a specific subject. It is the most commonly used form and typically follows a conjugated verb:
- Vou fazer o jantar. (I am going to make dinner.)
- Quero ir ao cinema. (I want to go to the cinema.)
Personal Infinitive
The personal infinitive is used when the infinitive has a specific subject, even though it remains in an unconjugated form. It often appears after prepositions or conjunctions, especially when the subject of the infinitive is different from the subject of the main clause:
- Vou comer agora para (eu) não ter fome mais tarde. (I will eat now so that I won’t be hungry later.)
However, it’s important to note that the personal infinitive has conjugated forms. For instance:
- Para eu fazer o trabalho… (For me to do the work…)
- Para eles fazerem o trabalho… (For them to do the work…)
- Para nós fazermos os trabalho… (For us to do the work…)
Interestingly, the conjugated forms of the personal infinitive in the first-person singular and third-person singular are identical to the impersonal infinitive.
Example:
- Para eu ter fome (For me to be hungry) – personal infinitive (looks like the impersonal).
- Para eles terem fome (For them to be hungry) – conjugated personal infinitive.
“One” can
- “Não se pode fumar aqui.” (One cannot smoke here/It is not allowed to smoke here.)
This is an example of the impersonal infinitive following a conjugated verb (pode).
Related Posts for Further Reading
- Verbs in Portuguese
- Personal Infinitive
- Impersonal Infinitive