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Infinitives I

 

What are infinitives and what do they do?

Infinitives are the most basic form of a verb. They have not been conjugated to fit a specific subject. (For instance, in English, in the sentence “He runs,” the verb “to run” is conjugated to fit the subject “he.”) In English, infinitives are marked by a “to” at the beginning of the action — “to walk,” “to sleep,” “to be,” “to cook,” etc. In Spanish, infinitives are marked by the ending of the verb.

There are three types of infinitives: -ar, -er, and -ir. Each of these infinitives has its own set of conjugation endings, but right now we will just focus on the infinitives themselves.

Here are some examples of each type of infinitive:

 

Related topics:

Spanish I:

1. Present tense verbs I

2. Gustar I: Infinitives

Spanish II:

1. Infinitives II

Spanish III:

1. Infinitives III

Additional Resources:

In your textbook (Realidades I):

1. Para Empezar, page 11

Online:

1. StudySpanish

2. Bowdoin College (more advanced)

verbs -- words that express actions and states of being

infinitives -- the most basic forms of verbs, infinitives are not conjugated to fit a subject

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