The Core Idea
Portuguese can inflect the infinitive for person and number. This personal infinitive is especially useful when the infinitive clause has its own subject.
The personal infinitive is one of the structures that makes Portuguese feel structurally distinct. It is highly useful in careful writing and in many natural spoken patterns as well.
Structure Snapshot
- infinitive + person endings
Main Rules at a Glance
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Rule 1 | Use the personal infinitive when the infinitive clause has an explicit subject or when you want to mark a subject clearly: "para eu entender", "antes de sairmos". |
| Rule 2 | It commonly appears after prepositions and in reduced clauses. |
| Rule 3 | The personal infinitive is not required in every context, but it is a powerful and very Portuguese structure. |
| Rule 4 | The form helps separate the subject of the infinitive clause from the subject of the main clause. |
How It Works
- Use the personal infinitive when the infinitive clause has an explicit subject or when you want to mark a subject clearly: "para eu entender", "antes de sairmos".
- It commonly appears after prepositions and in reduced clauses.
- The personal infinitive is not required in every context, but it is a powerful and very Portuguese structure.
- The form helps separate the subject of the infinitive clause from the subject of the main clause.
Usage and Register
- Some contexts allow either the uninflected or personal infinitive, while others strongly favor the personal form.
This is a partial preview of the article.
Related topics
Unlock the full explanation and all practice exercises for this B2 lesson.
Join Falando to access grammar from all CEFR levels.