The Infinitive

Level 1

The infinitive is the name of a verb: parlar, finir, vendre.

How It Works

EndingInfinitiveMeaning
-arparlarto speak
-irfinirto finish
-revendreto sell
-ervolerto want

Only the first verb changes for the person: Vòli cantar. (I want to sing.) Volèm cantar. (We want to sing.) The second verb stays exactly the same.

The infinitive also follows a preposition, as in per parlar (in order to speak). To say that someone speaks right now, use a present form, not the infinitive.

Most verbs you meet first end in -ar; they have their own entry for the present tense.

Examples (4)

  1. Vòli cantar.

    I want to sing.

    Cantar stays unchanged after vòli.

  2. Volèm manjar.

    We want to eat.

    Volèm changes for we; manjar does not.

  3. Pòdes parlar occitan?

    Can you speak Occitan?

    Parlar stays an infinitive after pòdes.

  4. Maria vòl dormir.

    Maria wants to sleep.

    Vòl changes; dormir stays.

Common Mistakes

  • Conjugating both verbs.

    Vòli canti.
    Vòli cantar.

    The second verb stays in the infinitive.

How It Connects

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

The InfinitiveLevel 1

Learn This First

The infinitive is the form that shows a verb's group, so the three verb groups come first.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.