The infinitive is the basic form of a verb, the unconjugated entry we look up in the dictionary to check its meaning. In English, infinitives are preceded by “to”, as in “to eat,” “to run,” or “to sleep.” In Italian there are three groups of infinitives. Verbs can, indeed, end either in -are, -ere, or -ire and, according to these endings, infinitives are classified as follows:
| prima coniugazione | mangiare meaning to eat |
|---|---|
| seconda coniugazione | correre meaning to run |
| terza coniugazione | dormire meaning to sleep |
Infinitives in Italian can serve as verbs —of course— as well as nouns, and are used in a variety of cases: ready to discover all their secrets? Keep reading!
How are infinitives formed in Italian?
As mentioned above, infinitives in Italian belong to one of three groups: -are, -ere, and -ire. Besides this, infinitives can have two tenses and infinitives can interact with pronouns. Let’s go over these points next.
Infinitive tenses: ‘infinito presente’ and ‘infinito passato’
First thing first, the Italian infinitive only has two tenses:
infinito presente meaning present infinitive, the basic form of the verb
Serena ama leggere la sera.Translation: Serena loves to read in the evening.infinito passato meaning perfect infinitive, formed like this:
present infinitive of essere or avere
the past participle
Essere andati in vacanza a giugno è stato saggio.Translation: Having gone on vacation in June was wise.Aver studiato lì è stato un onore.Translation: Having studied there has been an honor.
Infinitive and pronouns
The infinitive can take object pronouns and reflexive pronouns which can precede or be attached to the infinitive itself. In this last case, the infinitive drops its final e:
When and how to use infinitives in Italian?
Infinitives in Italian can be used in different ways: as nouns, after a conjugated verb, or after a preposition. Let’s go over these uses next.
Using infinitives as nouns
The infinitive can function as a noun. The English equivalent is generally an “-ing” verb. Because they can be used as nouns, infinitives can function as the subject of a sentence. Let’s break this down.
When an infinitive functions as a subject of a sentence, it normally appears before the verb.
Leggere è la mia passione.Translation: Reading is my passion.This infinitive may also be preceded by the definite article — so, our example would become Il leggere è la mia passione — although the form with no article is way more common.
The infinitive can be the subject of a verb like piacere meaning to like, mancare meaning to miss, or dispiacere meaning to be sorry, that is, verbs that require indirect object pronouns. In these instances, the infinitive follows the main verb:
Mi piace scrivere.Translation: I like writing.Infinitives are also used after impersonal constructions such as:
è + adjective
È necessario fare attenzione.Translation: It’s necessary to pay attention.è + article / possessive adjective + noun
- È un piacere assistere quei bambini.Translation: It’s a pleasure to assist those children.
- È mio dovere aiutare chi ha bisogno.Translation: It’s my duty to help those in need.
Using an infinitive after a conjugated verb
You will often see infinitives directly after a conjugated verb. In this case, the infinitive acts as the direct object of a verb, hence following the conjugated verb with no preposition in between them. But, which verbs can be followed directly by an infinitive?
Modal verbs: volere meaning want, potere meaning can, to be able to, and dovere meaning must, to have to.
Devo partire domani.Translation: I have to leave tomorrow.Verbs expressing states of mind: adorare meaning to adore, amare meaning to love, odiare meaning to hate, preferire meaning to prefer.
Amo giocare a tennis.Translation: I love playing tennis.
Using the infinitive after a preposition
Whenever an Italian preposition is followed by a verb, this is in the infinitive form. For example,
- Stamattina è andato a lavoro senza prendere la macchina.PhraseTranslation: This morning he went to work without taking the car.
- Hai chiuso la finestra prima di uscire?Translation: Did you close the window before leaving?
This is also the case when a verb functions as the indirect object of the sentence and therefore is preceded by a preposition.
Most verbs require a particular preposition —generally a or di — between them and the infinitive.
- Vado a comprare la torta.Translation: I’m going to buy a cake.
- Sperano di arrivare alle sette.Translation: They hope to arrive at seven.
Some verbs can be followed by more than one preposition, without any change in meaning.
Questo prodotto serve a/per pulire l’acciaio.Translation: This product serves the purpose of cleaning the steel.A few verbs, however, change their meaning depending on which preposition follows them, like pensare a and pensare di:
- Pensa a fare i compiti, poi puoi uscire.Translation: Focus on doing your homework, then you can go out.
- Penso di stare a casa stasera.Translation: I’m thinking of staying home tonight.
Other uses of the infinitive in Italian
Finally, the infinitive used to give commands, in interrogative clauses or exclamations, and after a few particular expressions.
In place of the imperative form of Italian verbs in some specific cases:
To give commands that are not addressed to anyone in particular:
Non posteggiare!Translation: Do not park!To give instructions to someone nonspecific:
Aggiungere la farina.Translation: Add flour.
In interrogative clauses or exclamations that express...
Doubt
Che dire? Era strano!Translation: What to say? It was strange!Disapproval
Io fare bungee jumping? Neanche per sogno!Translation: Me bungee jumping? Not a chance!Desire
Diventare medico è il suo sogno!Translation: Becoming a doctor is her dream!
After ecco meaning here to highlight an action or a fact:
Ecco entrare Fabio con il suo meraviglioso sorriso.Translation: And here is Fabio, entering the room with his wonderful smile.In the construction stare + per + infinitive, to indicate that something is about to happen:
Sto per andare!Translation: I’m about to go!
How is the past infinitive used in Italian?
The past infinitive or infinito passato is used to express an action that happened before the action of the main verb, or to indicate causality. The markers to look for are, respectively, dopo meaning after, prima di meaning before, and per meaning for.
- Dopo aver parlato con lui, ho capito.Translation: After having talked with him, I understood.
- Prima di aver letto quel libro, non sapevo niente di quella storia.Translation: Before reading that book, I knew nothing about that story.
- Fui lodata per essere stata molto scrupolosa.Translation: I was praised for having been very scrupulous.
To sum up
The infinitive is the standard dictionary form of the verb. In Italian, infinitives end in either -are, -ere, or -ire.
Infinitives can appear:
as nouns, after verbs like piacere, after some impersonal constructions
after a conjugated verb (modal, verbs that express a state of mind)
after a preposition or a verb + preposition, normally a or di
There are only two infinitive tenses: infinito presente and infinito passato. They are used in the same three contexts, but the infinito passato specifically expresses a cause-and-effect relationship, or an action occurred before the one expressed by the main verb.
Ready to practice? Check out these activities on the Italian infinitive!
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