norėti / galėti / mokėti + infinitive

Want, Can and Know How with an Infinitive

Level 1

Conjugate the first verb and keep the second in the infinitive: Noriu miegoti. Moku plaukti.

How It Works

The pattern. A conjugated verb + an infinitive in -ti:

  • norėti (to want): noriu, nori, nori — Noriu miegoti.
  • galėti (to be able to): galiu, gali, gali — Ar gali padėti?
  • mokėti (to know how to): moku, moki, moka — Moku plaukti.

Galėti or mokėti? Use galėti when something is possible for you now: you have time, you are free, nothing stops you. Use mokėti for a skill you learned, like swimming, driving or a language: Moku plaukti, bet šiandien negaliu. (I can swim, but I cannot today.)

Two look-alikes. Mokyti (first person mokau) means to teach, so mokau plaukti means I teach swimming. Mokėti also means to pay: mokėti už kavą (to pay for the coffee).

Negation. Put ne- on the first verb: Negaliu miegoti. See negation with ne-. When the whole phrase is negated, an accusative object of the infinitive normally becomes genitive: Negaliu rasti telefono. (the genitive after negation).

Without an infinitive, norėti takes a genitive object instead: wanting things with norėti. Other verbs follow the same infinitive pattern, such as turėti (must).

Examples (6)

  1. Noriu miegoti.

    I want to sleep.

    Word by Word: Want-I to-sleep.

  2. Ar gali padėti?

    Can you help?

    Word by Word: Q can-you to-help?

  3. Moku plaukti.

    I can swim.

    Word by Word: Know-how-I to-swim.

    Swimming is a learned skill, so the verb is mokėti.

  4. Moku plaukti, bet šiandien negaliu.

    I can swim, but I cannot today.

    Word by Word: Know-how-I to-swim, but today not-can-I.

    Mokėti is the skill; galėti is whether it is possible right now.

  5. Ar moki vairuoti?

    Can you drive?

    Word by Word: Q know-how-you to-drive?

  6. Jis nori valgyti.

    He wants to eat.

    Word by Word: He wants to-eat.

Common Mistakes

  • Conjugating the second verb too.

    Noriu miegu.
    Noriu miegoti.

    Only the first verb shows the person. The second verb stays in the infinitive.

  • Using mokyti (to teach) instead of mokėti (to know how) when you mean I can swim.

    Aš mokau plaukti.
    Aš moku plaukti.

    Mokau comes from mokyti and means I teach, so the first sentence says I teach swimming. For a skill you have, use moku.

How It Connects

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

norėti / galėti / mokėti + infinitiveLevel 1Want, Can and Know How with an Infinitive

Learn This First

A personal verb can introduce an action in the infinitive.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

norėtigalėtimokėti