The Infinitive  

The Infinitive

A verb is the action in the sentence. Look at the following verbs below.

    El caballo come la zanahoria.
    The horse eats the carrot.
    Nosotros corremos con el perro.
    We run with the dog.
    Ellos hablan a la vez.
    They talk at the same time.

The simplest form of a verb is called an infinitive. An infinitive ends in "r" and usually means "to ___".

There are 3 main types of verbs based on their endings: -ar verbs, -er verbs & -ir verbs.

    hablar (to speak)
    correr (to run)
    subir (to go up)

When we have two verbs next to one another in Spanish, the second is in the infinitive form.

    ¿Puede hablar?
    Can you talk? / Are you able to talk?
    María necesita estudiar.
    Mary needs to study.
    Yo necesito leer un libro.
    I need to read a book.
    Quiero ser médico.
    I want to be a doctor.
    ¿Puedo hablar con el gerente?
    Can I speak to the manager? / Am I able to speak to the manager?
    ¿Quiere usar la computadora?
    Do you want to use the computer?

[ view full lesson ]

Learn Vocabulary
Vocabulary FlashcardsVocabulary quiz Spelling Quiz

Use of Infinitives
Sentence FlashcardsImage-Sentence MatchWord Order QuizMultiple Choice QuizSpanish Tank Game

Related Topics
more on infinitive use
verb + preposition + infinitive
  Vocabulary Flashcards
  Vocabulary Quiz
  Photo Quiz
  Spelling Quiz
  Sentence Flashcards
  Video
  Example Sentences
  Dialogue
  Image-Sentence Match
  Word Order Quiz
  Multiple Choice Quiz
  A or B Quiz
  Fill In

Icon Legend

Icons are color coded by Spanish level:

Green = Beginner
Blue = Intermediate
Orange = Advanced


Black icons are unrelated to Spanish level:

Help
Download
Information




http://www.nulengua.com


Popular Phrase: papa oso | Verb Exercises | Conjugated Verb: acelerar - to accelerate, to speed, to hurry [ click for full conjugation ]