An infinitive is the dictionary form of a verb, the equivalent of the English “to verb” form. In Brazilian Portuguese they mostly end in -ar, -er, and -ir.
amar
to love
comer
to eat
abrir
to open
In Brazilian Portuguese, infinitives can be used as verbs or as nouns, depending on the context.
Eu devo encontrar a Joana mais tarde.
I may meet Joana later.
Viver aqui é muito bom.
Living here is very good.
Infinitives can also be placed after impersonal expressionsNo definition set for impersonal expressionsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or after prepositionsNo definition set for prepositionsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. Aren’t they fascinating? If you are curious to know more about infinitives and their uses in Brazilian Portuguese, keep reading this post.
Infinitives are the base of the verb form and commonly end in -ar, -er, or -ir in Brazilian Portuguese. These endings represent the three possible verb patterns for conjugatingNo definition set for conjugatingLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verbs.
Verb conjugation | Example |
|---|---|
First conjugation | falar to talk |
Second conjugation | entender to understand |
Third conjugation | partir to leave |
A few verbs in Brazilian Portuguese end with -or. These are considered irregular verbs, though their conjugation is similar to verbs ending with -er. These are all derived from the verb pôr(to put), for example:
repôr
to repose
compor
to compose
impor
to impose
depor
to depose
As you can see, even though pôr receives a written accent, most of its derivatives don’t.
There are two types of infinitives in Brazilian Portuguese: the impersonal infinitive and the personal infinitive.
In this post, we will cover the impersonal infinitives, which is used to mention a verb or action generically. This form of the infinitive is always invariable.
Check out our post on Brazilian Portuguese personal infinitives to learn more about the other kind.
Now that you've seen what infinitives are and how they look in Brazilian Portuguese, it will be helpful to talk about when they are used. Let’s start!
Brazilian Portuguese infinitive verbs can be used in some environments that will be familiar to English speakers, but are also often used in cases where we use the “-ing” form or the bare infinitiveNo definition set for bare infinitiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. form in English instead. Let’s have a look!
In Brazilian Portuguese, modal verbs are always followed by infinitive verbs. A modal verb is a verb like "can", "must", or "should" — an auxiliary verbNo definition set for auxiliary verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. that adds more information about why the main action is being mentioned (is it an ability, something you’re requesting, a possibility, etc.).
Eu posso correr uma maratona.
I can run a marathon.
A padaria deve abrir às 8 da manhã.
The bakery ought to open at 8 in the morning.
As crianças têm que limpar o quarto agora.
The bakery ought to open at 8 in the morning.
Precisamos estudar mais para a prova.
We need to study more for the test.
Check out this list of other modal verbs in Brazilian Portuguese and their meanings.
To use the infinitive of a passive verb after a modal. To do this use the following structure:
modal
ser(to be)
past participle
Marta pode/deve ser escolhida para ganhar o prêmio.
Marta can/may be chosen to win the award.
Did you know that the verb precisar(to need) can be followed by an infinitive verb or by a noun? This depends on whether the preposition de is present.
Take a look at the explanation below:
Precisar(to need to do something) is always followed by a verb in the infinitive form:
Preciso fazer compras hoje.
I need to go shopping today.
Precisar de(to need something) is always followed by a noun:
Preciso de dinheiro para fazer compras hoje.
I need money to go shopping today.
We also use infinitives after certain non-modal verbs. For example:
Nós curtimos caminhar na praia.
We enjoy walking on the beach.
Roberta e Amanda odeiam jogar futebol.
Roberta and Amanda hate playing soccer.
Ela tentou correr uma milha.
She tried to run a mile.
In English, these kinds of verbs are often followed by the “-ing” form of a verb, but in Brazilian Portuguese we always use the infinitive.
It’s common to use the construction ir(to go) + infinitive to talk about the future in Brazilian Portuguese, as in:
Eu vou trabalhar amanhã.
I will work tomorrow. / I am going to work tomorrow.
Read our post on how to express the future in Brazilian Portuguese to learn more!
Infinitives can also be used as the subject of a sentence, much like we would use a noun. We use sentences like these most often to give a general statement or opinion.
Caminhar faz bem para a sua saúde.
Walking is good for your health.
Notice that this is once again a case where, in Brazilian Portuguese, we use an infinitive where, in English, you’d more naturally use an “-ing” form.
You might be asking yourself: is it possible to put an article before the infinitive when they function as nouns?
The answer is no. Although infinitives can work as nouns, they are used here to refer to a general idea, and not a specific one. Therefore, definite articlesNo definition set for definite articlesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. cannot be used with them.
We often use infinitives after impersonal expressionsNo definition set for impersonal expressionsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., such as é possível(it is possible), é impossível(it is impossible), é fácil(it is easy), or é bom(it is good).
É impossível dormir até mais tarde durante o verão.
It is impossible to sleep till late during summer.
É fácil aprender português?
Is it easy to learn Portuguese?
When fácil(easy), difícil(difficult), possível(possible), and bom(good) are used in non-impersonal constructions, they are followed by preposition de(of, for) + infinitive:
Aquele livro é impossível de esquecer.
That book is impossible to forget.
When Brazilian Portuguese prepositions are followed by verbs, these verbs are always in the infinitive form.
Saber informática é importante para conseguir um emprego.
Knowing I.T. is important to get / for getting a job.
Eu fiz a correção do trabalho sem pensar.
I did the assignment correction without thinking.
Many verbs in Brazilian Portuguese, like gostar de(to like), are always followed by a preposition. In this case, if you want to say what you or somebody else likes doing, the verb that follows gostar de is always in the infinitive form.
Roberta e Amanda gostam de jogar futebol.
Roberta and Amanda like to play soccer.
Check out this list of common verbs in Brazilian Portuguese that are always followed by prepositions.
There are also some fixed expressions in Brazilian Portuguese that end in a preposition. These, too, are followed by the infinitive form of a verb. Let’s take a look at some examples below.
depois de(after), antes de(before), além de(beyond, besides)
Depois de ler o livro, quero assistir ao filme.
After reading the book, I want to watch the movie.
não tem nada a(to have nothing to), tem tudo a(to have everything to)
Ele não tem nada a perder.
He has nothing to lose.
Mário tem tudo a ganhar com o novo emprego.
Mário has everything to earn with the new job.
The preposition a is often used with the expressions above. However, it can be replaced with para(to) in informal written and spoken language.
Ele não tem nada para perder.
He has nothing to lose.
The infinitive is also used after ao (preposition a + article o), which can be translated into “upon.” The combination ao + infinitive is equivalent to Brazilian Portuguese quando(when) + conjugated verb.
Ao falar com o Mário, Carlos esqueceu de dar o meu recado.
Upon talking to Mário, Carlos forgot to give my message.
Quando falou com o Mário, Carlos esqueceu de dar o meu recado.
When he talked to Mário, Carlos forgot to give my message.
Infinitives can be used to give a general command instruction or to make general statements on signs, posters, and ads:
Não andar de bicicleta aqui.
No biking here.
Por que pagar mais, se você pode pagar menos?
Why pay more, if you can pay less?
When giving a command, the infinitive is often replaced by the imperative form.
Não ande de bicicleta aqui.
Do not bike here.
The perfect infinitive is a type of infinitive that is used to indicate that the action of the infinitive happens before the action expressed by the main verb. It has the following structure:
ter(to have)
past participle
Foi possível ter ocorrido um erro desconhecido na hora de usar a máquina.
It was possible that an unknown error occurred when using the machine.
The perfect infinitive can be used in some of the same contexts as the simple infinitive: after modals, impersonal expressions, and prepositions, but the perfect infinitive cannot be used as a noun or to give command or general statement.
The perfect infinitive is commonly used after modal verbs to express assumptions, possibilities, or wishes about the past.
Eles já deveriam ter chegado.
They should have already arrived.
Murilo pode ter falado com o Marcos sobre a sua decisão.
Murilo may have spoken to Marcos about his decision.
Os alunos poderiam ter entregado o trabalho na semana passada.
The students could have delivered their work last week.
To form the perfect infinitive of a passive verb, use ter(to have) before the participle form of ser(to be) + the past participle, as in:
modal
ter(to have)
sido(been) + past participle
Marta pode ter sido escolhida para ganhar o prêmio.
Marta may have been chosen to win the award.
However, you can use the regular passive infinitive after a modal to discuss something possibility in the past, which was not fulfilled:
Marta poderia/deveria ser escolhida para ganhar o prêmio.
Marta could be (the person who was) chosen to win the award.
The perfect infinitive can also be used after impersonal expressions, but the only difference is that the verb from the main clause is often conjugated in the preterite tense. So, instead of é bom(it is good), you might say foi bom(it was good).
Foi bom ter trabalhado com você.
It was good to have worked with you.
The perfect infinitive is placed after prepositions like por(by, for) and de(of, from), as well as after the expressions depois de(after), antes de(before), and além de(beyond, besides), when the action being discussed is finished before the main action.
Estou feliz por ter encontrado um novo apartamento.
I am glad to have found a new apartment.
Depois de ter falado com a Tatiane, fui embora para casa.
After having talked to Tatiane, I went home.
Notice that the perfect infinitive in Brazilian Portuguese can sometimes be translated with the gerund in English: ter falado(having talked).
In Brazilian Portuguese, the perfect infinitive has the same meaning as the present perfect subjunctive or preterite when used in a subordinate clauseNo definition set for subordinate clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. Notice that some changes need to be done in the phrase in order to make this substitution.
Estou feliz por ter encontrado um novo apartamento.
I am glad to have found a new apartment.
Estou feliz que eu tenha encontrado um novo apartamento.
I am glad that I have found a new apartment.
Estou feliz porque eu encontrei um novo apartamento.
I am glad because I found a new apartment.
In this post, we talked about infinitives in Brazilian Portuguese, which are verbs in their basic form with -ar, -er, and -ir endings. You learned that:
Infinitives can be placed after modal verbs or verbs that function as modals, as in:
Devemos partir daqui a pouco.
We must leave soon.
Carlos adora conversar com você.
Carlos loves talking to you.
Infinitives can also function as nouns, as in:
Praticar esportes é importante.
Practicing sports is important.
They can also be placed after impersonal expressions or prepositions, like é importante(is it important) and depois de(after), as in:
Depois de tomar banho, eu vou te ligar.
After taking a shower, I will call you.
They can be used to give a command or a general statement, as in:
Não falar alto.
Do not speak loudly.
Finally, infinitives have a perfect form: the perfect infinitive, which can also be used after modals, impersonal expressions, and prepositions, as in:
Eu deveria ter pensando nisso antes.
I should have thought about this before.
Foi bom ter visto o Marcos ontem.
It was good to have seen Marcos yesterday.
Ele dormiu mal por ter tido insônia.
He slept badly because he got insomnia.
A very important fact you saw in this post is that Brazilian Portuguese often uses infinitives where English uses “-ing” verbs, as in:
Eu gosto de caminhar.
I like walking.
So, pay attention to this difference in use.
Are you ready to practice using infinitives in Brazilian Portuguese with our activities?
