Infinitive as Subject
Lerni, paroli and legi can start a sentence.
How It Works
| Subject | After estas |
|---|---|
| Lerni lingvojn | estas interese. |
| Legi leterojn | estas agrable. |
| Paroli Esperanton | estas plezuro. |
The infinitive stands for an action, not a thing, so the word that describes it is an adverb: interese, agrable, bone. A noun like plezuro says what the action is.
A plural noun after the infinitive does not make the describing word plural, because the describing word goes with the action: Danci kun amikoj estas bonege, not bonegaj. The infinitive keeps its object, with -n if the object needs it. You may also put estas first: Estas agrable legi leterojn. The meaning is the same. The tense shows only on estas: Legi estis agrable.
Examples (5)
- Lerni lingvojn estas interese.
Learning languages is interesting.
Interese ends in -e because it describes an action.
- Paroli Esperanton estas plezuro.
Speaking Esperanto is a pleasure.
Plezuro is a noun, and Esperanton keeps its -n.
- Legi leterojn de amikoj estas agrable.
Reading letters from friends is pleasant.
Agrable describes the action of reading.
- Resti hejme estas malfacile por Kofi.
Staying at home is hard for Kofi.
Por Kofi shows who finds it hard.
- Danci kun Ana estas bonege.
Dancing with Ana is great.
Bonege describes the dancing, not Ana, so it ends in -e.
Common Mistakes
Using the adjective after an infinitive subject.
Lerni estas bona.Lerni estas bone.An action is described with -e, not -a.
How It Connects
Learn This First
An infinitive can be the subject of estas.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Infinitive as Subject in Bubblegum
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