The Infinitive  

Spanish Grammar Present Indicative The Infinitive
Overview

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?


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