da-Infinitive as Subject

Infinitive as Subject

Level 4

Suitsetada on keelatud means Smoking is forbidden. The da-infinitive names an action, so it can be what the sentence is about.

How It Works

In English, an action can be the subject: Smoking is not allowed. To learn Estonian is fun. In Estonian, the da-infinitive can do the same job.

  • Suitsetada on siin keelatud. (Smoking is not allowed here.)
  • Eesti keelt õppida on huvitav. (Learning Estonian is interesting.)
  • Mulle meeldib ujuda. (I like swimming.) With meeldima, the thing you like is the subject, so the infinitive is the subject here too.

Three things to remember:

  1. The verb is in the third person singular: on, oli, meeldib, ei ole.
  2. A word after on that describes the action stays in the nominative singular: huvitav, lihtne, keelatud, tervislik.
  3. The infinitive keeps its verb's grammar. Õppima takes a partitive object, so it is eesti keelt õppida.

The infinitive can stand at the start or at the end: Suitsetada on keelatud. On keelatud suitsetada. Put it at the end when the action is the new part of the message.

A -mine noun often says the same thing, and it is very common on signs: Suitsetamine on keelatud. The -mine word is a real noun, so its object becomes a genitive: eesti keele õppimine, but eesti keelt õppida.

Examples (6)

  1. Suitsetada on siin keelatud.

    Smoking is not allowed here.

    Word by Word: to-smoke is here forbidden

    The da-infinitive suitsetada is the subject.

  2. Eesti keelt õppida on huvitav.

    Learning Estonian is interesting.

    Õppima takes a partitive object, so it is eesti keelt.

  3. Mulle meeldib hommikuti joosta.

    I like running in the mornings.

    With meeldima, the infinitive is the subject and the person who likes it takes -le.

  4. Õhtul hilja süüa ei ole tervislik.

    Eating late in the evening is not healthy.

    The whole infinitive phrase õhtul hilja süüa is the subject.

  5. Kas siin on lubatud pildistada?

    Is taking photos allowed here?

    The infinitive comes last because it is the new information.

  6. Talvel on mõnus saunas käia.

    In winter it is nice to go to the sauna.

    Mõnus stays in the nominative singular.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the ma-infinitive as the subject.

    Suitsetama on siin keelatud.
    Suitsetada on siin keelatud.

    Only the da-infinitive can be the subject. The ma-infinitive is used after verbs like minema, hakkama and pidama.

  • Giving the infinitive's object a genitive, as with a noun.

    Eesti keele õppida on huvitav.
    Eesti keelt õppida on huvitav.

    An infinitive keeps its verb's object case, here the partitive. The genitive belongs with the -mine noun: Eesti keele õppimine on huvitav.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

da-Infinitive as SubjectLevel 4Infinitive as Subject

Learn This First

The da-infinitive can be a subject, as after adjectives.