When to Use the Personal Infinitive

Level 4

Add a person ending to the infinitive when it has its own subject: Chamei para virdes (I called so that you would come). In verb phrases such as queremos ir or temos que ir, the infinitive stays plain.

How It Works

Use it

  • When the subject is different, after a preposition: Entrou na casa sen o saberen os pais (he came into the house without his parents knowing). Trouxen o libro para o leres (I brought the book for you to read).
  • As the subject of a sentence, after expressions like é mellor, é preciso, é importante: É mellor saírmos cedo (it is better for us to leave early).
  • With the same subject after a preposition, it is optional but common, above all when the infinitive clause comes first: Antes de marchardes, comede algo (before you leave, eat something).

Do not use it

  • In verb phrases: Queremos ir, Temos que estudar, Imos comer, Podedes pasar.
  • When the action has no specific subject: É importante durmir ben (it is important to sleep well, for anyone).
  • After a preposition that the main verb itself requires, when the subject is the same: Non vos esquezades de pechar a billa.

Why it matters

The ending tells you who does the action. Trouxen o libro para o ler means I brought it to read it myself; para o leres means for you to read. For eu and el/ela the form looks the same as the plain infinitive (ler), so add the subject if it is not clear: para o ler ela.

Common introducers

para (purpose), sen (without), antes de, despois de, ata (time), ao (when), por (because), de (condition), con (even though). Many of these can also be said with que + subjunctive; see personal infinitive or subjunctive.

Examples (6)

  1. É mellor saírmos cedo.

    It is better for us to leave early.

    Word by Word: It-is better to-leave-we early.

    The infinitive is the subject of é mellor, and its own subject is nós.

  2. Chamei para virdes á reunión.

    I called so that you would come to the meeting.

    I called, but you all come: virdes shows the different subject.

  3. Entrou na casa sen o saberen os pais.

    He came into the house without his parents knowing.

    The subject of saberen is os pais, which comes after the infinitive.

  4. Antes de marchardes, comede algo.

    Before you leave, eat something.

    The subject is the same (vós), but the clause comes first after a preposition, so the personal infinitive is natural.

  5. Trouxen este libro para o leres ti.

    I brought this book for you to read.

    Without -es, para o ler would mean that I would read it.

  6. Por falarmos de máis, metémonos nun compromiso.

    Because we talked too much, we got ourselves into a tight spot.

    Por + personal infinitive gives the cause.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a person ending inside a verb phrase.

    Queremos irmos ao cine.
    Queremos ir ao cine.

    In a verb phrase the main verb already shows the person, so the infinitive stays plain.

  • Adding a person ending after ter que and other obligation phrases.

    Temos que estudarmos máis.
    Temos que estudar máis.

    Ter que + infinitive is a verb phrase; the ending goes only on temos.

  • Leaving the infinitive plain when you mean that another person will act.

    Trouxen este libro para o ler ti.
    Trouxen este libro para o leres ti.

    The infinitive has its own subject, ti, so it needs the ti ending -es: para o leres ti. Without a named subject, para o ler would mean that I will read it.

How It Connects

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When to Use the Personal InfinitiveLevel 4

Learn This First

A personal infinitive can express its own subject outside a finite verb phrase.

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Patterns that build on this one.