Overview
The infinitive is the most basic form of a verb. Verbs in the infinitive form indicate what an action is, but do not indicate anything about who is doing the action or at what point in time the action is taking place.
Infinitives as Nouns
In Spanish, when a verb functions as a noun, the infinitive is used, and it is always singular and masculine. It can be used as the subject of a sentence or the object of another verb or preposition.
When the infinitive is used as a noun, you don't usually use an article (such as el or un) with it, though it's acceptable to use the article el in front of an infinitive that is the subject of a sentence.
Bailar tango es difícil.
Dancing the tango is hard.
Está prohibido sacar fotos aquí.
Taking pictures is prohibited here.
Pienso salir con él.
I am thinking about going out with him.
Lo hice sin pensar.
I did it without thinking.
El nadar es buen ejercicio.
Swimming is good exercise.
English Translations of Spanish Infinitives
Spanish infinitives can often be translated into English as infinitives (like to do) or gerunds (like doing).
Me gusta nadar.
I like to swim./I like swimming.
Hablar español es divertido.
Speaking Spanish is fun./It is fun to speak Spanish.
Infinitive Commands
To form an infinitive command, simply use the word no followed by an infinitive. You don't need to conjugate anything!
No fumar.
No smoking.
Batir los huevos.
Beat the eggs.
Verbs Used with Infinitives
Here are some verbs and verb phrases commonly used before another verb in the infinitive.
aceptar
to accept
acordar
to agree
afirmar
to say/state
amenazar
to threaten
anhelar
to long for
asegurar
to assure
buscar
to look for
creer
to believe
deber
to have to, should
decidir
to decide
demostrar
to show
desear
to desire/want
enseñar a
to teach
esperar
to hope for
fingir
to pretend
gustar
to like
intentar
to try
ir a
to go
lamentar
to regret
lograr
to succeed in
negar
to deny
pensar en
to think about/of
poder
to be able to
preferir
to prefer
prometer
to promise
querer
to want
reconocer
to acknowledge
recordar
to remember
seguir
to follow/to continue
sentir
to feel
soler
to be used to
temer
to fear
tener que
to have
tratar de
to try
Vamos a bailar.
We are going to dance.
Tienes que sacar la basura.
You have to take out the trash.
Quiero salir para la fiesta.
I want to leave for the party.
Me gusta dibujar.
I like to draw.
