Formal Orders With the Infinitive

Level 6

Visiems susirinkti aikštėje. means Everyone is to gather in the square.

How It Works

Instruction. This construction appears in notices, commands and formal directions. Keleiviams išlipti. tells passengers to get off.

Dative forms. Compare visiems, everyone; keleiviams, passengers; dalyviams, participants. These are not nominative subjects controlling a conjugated verb.

Other uses. Dative plus infinitive can also express a question or a necessity in context. It is not always an order. In this lesson the examples are independent instructions. A direct imperative such as Susirinkite! is another way to address the group.

Examples (4)

  1. Visiems susirinkti aikštėje.

    Everyone is to gather in the square.

  2. Keleiviams išlipti.

    Passengers are to get off.

  3. Dalyviams atsinešti dokumentus.

    Participants are to bring their documents.

  4. Vaikams neiti prie upės.

    Children are not to go near the river.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a nominative noun as the named recipient of this formal infinitive order.

    Keleiviai išlipti.
    Keleiviams išlipti.

    In this dative-plus-infinitive construction use keleiviams. A direct address would instead use a vocative and an imperative.

How It Connects

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

Formal Orders With the InfinitiveLevel 6

Learn This First

A dative person plus an infinitive can express a formal order without a personal verb ending.

Words in This Pattern

susirinkti