ver / oír + Infinitive

Perception Verbs + Infinitive

Level 4

After ver (see), oír (hear) and sentir (feel, hear), an infinitive describes the action you perceive: Vin chegar o tren (I saw the train arrive).

How It Works

The pattern

ver / oír / sentir / escoitar + infinitive, with no preposition: Vin chegar o tren (I saw the train arrive), Oín cantar os paxaros (I heard the birds sing).

Word order

The noun for who or what acts can come after the infinitive or before it: Oín cantar os paxaros or Oín os paxaros cantar. It is a direct object, so it takes no a in standard Galician (see direct objects without a).

Pronouns

A pronoun for the perceived person or thing goes with the perception verb and follows the usual placement rules: Vinte saír (I saw you leave), Oíno chegar (I heard him arrive; oín + o is written as one word, oíno), Non te vin saír. After -s it takes the lo form: Víchelo chegar? (did you see him arrive?).

Sentir. Sentir is often used for sounds and sensations: Sentín abrir a porta (I heard the door open).

Infinitive or gerund. The infinitive shows the whole action; the gerund shows it in progress: Vina chegar (I saw her arrive) compared with Vina chorando (I saw her crying).

Examples (6)

  1. Vin chegar o tren desde a ventá.

    I saw the train arrive from the window.

    Word by Word: I-saw arrive the train from the window.

    The infinitive chegar names the action that was seen.

  2. Pola mañá oín cantar os paxaros.

    In the morning I heard the birds singing.

    The birds are the direct object of oín, with no a before them.

  3. Vinte saír da biblioteca.

    I saw you leave the library.

    Te is attached to vin, the perception verb.

  4. Oíno chegar ás tres da mañá.

    I heard him come in at three in the morning.

    Oín + o is written as one word: oíno. The pronoun keeps its plain form o after -n.

  5. Sentín abrir a porta da rúa.

    I heard the front door open.

    Sentir is often used for sounds.

  6. Víchelo marchar?

    Did you see him leave?

    After -s the pronoun o becomes lo and the s drops: viches + o = víchelo.

Common Mistakes

  • Starting the sentence with the pronoun.

    Te vin saír da biblioteca.
    Vinte saír da biblioteca.

    In a plain statement the pronoun goes after the verb: vinte.

  • Putting a before the perceived noun, as in Spanish.

    Oín aos paxaros cantar.
    Oín os paxaros cantar.

    The perceived noun is a direct object, and standard Galician does not put a before it.

  • Writing oír without its accent.

    Non te oin chegar.
    Non te oín chegar.

    Oír and oín carry an accent to show that the i is a separate syllable.

How It Connects

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

ver / oír + InfinitiveLevel 4Perception Verbs + Infinitive

Learn This First

Perception verbs take an infinitive event and its perceived participant.

Words in This Pattern

oírsentir