að + Infinitive
The Infinitive with Að
The basic form of a verb ends in -a and has að in front of it, like English to: að tala (to speak).
How It Works
The infinitive is the form you find in the dictionary. It almost always ends in -a: tala (speak), borða (eat), fara (go), læra (learn). A few end in another vowel, such as sjá (see), fá (get) and þvo (wash).
Að works like English to. It comes right before the infinitive:
- after verbs of planning and trying: Ég ætla að fara heim. (see ætla að)
- after mig langar: Mig langar að fara til Íslands.
- after phrases like það er gaman: Það er gaman að lesa.
- to show what you are doing now: Ég er að lesa. (see vera að)
Verbs without að. A small group of verbs take the infinitive directly. The most common are vilja (want) and mega (may): Ég vil fara. Má ég koma inn? Learn these as exceptions.
Where ekki goes. The word ekki comes before að: Ég ætla ekki að fara. (I'm not going to go.)
The word að has other jobs too. It can also mean that, as in that-clauses.
Examples (6)
- Mig langar að fara til Íslands.
I'd like to go to Iceland.
Word by Word: Me longs to go to Iceland.
- Það er gaman að lesa.
It's fun to read.
Word by Word: It is fun to read.
- Ég ætla að borða núna.
I'm going to eat now.
Word by Word: I intend to eat now.
- Hún er að læra að tala íslensku.
She is learning to speak Icelandic.
Word by Word: She is to learn to speak Icelandic.
Two infinitives in a row, each with its own að.
- Ég ætla ekki að fara.
I'm not going to go.
Word by Word: I intend not to go.
Ekki comes before að.
- Ég vil fara heim.
I want to go home.
Word by Word: I want go home.
Vilja takes the infinitive without að.
Common Mistakes
Adding að after vilja.
Ég vil að fara heim.Ég vil fara heim.Vilja is one of the few verbs that take the infinitive directly, with no að.
Leaving out að after ætla.
Ég ætla fara heim.Ég ætla að fara heim.Ætla needs að before the infinitive.
Leaving out að after mig langar.
Mig langar fara til Íslands.Mig langar að fara til Íslands.Mig langar needs að before a verb.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The infinitive with að builds on the dictionary form of verbs.
Related Patterns
- ætla aðGoing to (Ætla Að)
Ætla að + infinitive is the usual way to talk about plans.
Level 1 - viljaTo Want (Vilja)
Vilja takes the infinitive without að.
Level 1 - megaMay (Mega)
Mega also takes the infinitive without að.
Level 1 - mig langarWanting (Mig Langar)
Mig langar að + infinitive says what you would like to do.
Level 1 - vera að + InfinitiveDoing Something Now (Vera Að)
Vera að + infinitive says what you are doing right now.
Level 1 - til aðIn Order to (Til Að)
Til að + infinitive means in order to.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice að + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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