ao + Infinitive
Upon Doing: Ao + Infinitive
Ao + infinitive means when or upon doing something: Ao chegar á casa, chamoume (when she got home, she called me).
How It Works
The pattern
Ao (the contraction a + o) + infinitive. It works like a short cando clause: Ao chegar á casa = Cando chegou á casa.
Who does the action?
- Usually the subject is the same as in the main clause: Esvarei ao baixar as escaleiras (I slipped while going down the stairs).
- An infinitive with a personal ending names the subject clearly: Ao chegarmos, xa non había ninguén (when we arrived, there was no one left); Ao saíres, pecha a porta.
Cause with non. With a negative, ao + infinitive often gives a reason: Ao non ter cartos, non puido viaxar (as he had no money, he could not travel).
Pronouns usually join the end of the infinitive, and -r + o becomes -lo (see lo and la): Ao velo, puxémonos a rir (when we saw him, we started laughing).
Galician form. The contraction is written ao; the norms also accept the spelling ó, and both are pronounced the same. Do not use Spanish al, and do not replace the infinitive with a gerund.
Examples (6)
- Ao chegar á casa, chamoume.
When she got home, she called me.
Word by Word: Upon-the arrive to-the house, she-called-me.
Ao chegar places the call at the moment of arriving.
- Ao saíres, pecha a porta.
When you go out, close the door.
Saíres is the personal infinitive for ti.
- Ao chegarmos, xa non había ninguén.
When we arrived, there was no one left.
Chegarmos shows that the subject is nós.
- Esvarei ao baixar as escaleiras.
I slipped while going down the stairs.
The clause can also come after the main verb.
- Ao non ter cartos, non puido viaxar.
As he had no money, he could not travel.
With non, ao + infinitive often gives the reason.
- Ao velo, puxémonos todos a rir.
When we saw him, we all started laughing.
Velo is ver + o: the pronoun joins the infinitive as -lo.
Common Mistakes
Using the Spanish contraction al.
Al chegar á casa, chamoume.Ao chegar á casa, chamoume.In Galician, a + o contracts to ao.
Using a gerund after ao.
Ao chegando á casa, chamoume.Ao chegar á casa, chamoume.Ao is always followed by an infinitive.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Ao with an infinitive connects the main event to the moment of another action.
Related Patterns
- a + o = aoContractions of a with the Article
The contraction that forms ao.
Level 1 - antes de / despois de + InfinitiveBefore and After + Infinitive
Other time expressions built with an infinitive.
Level 3 - en canto + SubjunctiveAs Soon as: En Canto
Another way to link two actions in time: as soon as.
Level 4 - lo, la After -r and -sPronoun Forms Lo and La After -r and -s
Explains why ver + o becomes velo after ao.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice ao + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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