We are the biggest Reddit community dedicated to discussing, teaching and learning Spanish. Bajarse (to get down, lower oneself): Todos se bajaron a observar el fenmeno. Using Infinitives After Conjugated Verbs in Spanish, Conjugation of Empezar and Comenzar in Spanish, Conjugating Spanish Verbs in the Conditional Tense, How To Use Antes and Related Phrases in Spanish, Spanish Verbs Followed by De and an Infinitive, Learn How To Use the Future Tense of Spanish. There appear to be no clear rules to indicate when a verb needs to have an a before a subsequent infinitive, although verbs that indicate some sort of motion such as venir (to come) and llegar (to leave) usually do. There is a whole list of Spanish verbs that take a preposition on this site in the Grammar. So it depends on the verb proceeding the infinitive! things like, miedo a morirse) won't be possible. Venir (to come): Vinieron a ganar dinero. If you want to talk in a general way about some action needing to happen, you can instead use the constructionhay +que + infinitive. to but I am not fluent nor do I know the language very well but it is something my teacher taught me about a week ago. When somebody needs to do something, you can conjugate the verbtener (to have), then add the wordqueand aninfinitive verb. Why do I look for things, but seek them, why not look things but seek for them. We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in. For example: In these cases, the infinitive is grammatically functioning as a noun andthe subject of the sentence, that is, its the thing thats taking some action.. I'm not used to losing. You might also see them scrawled acrossthe board and at the front ofa Spanish classroom, underlined with lists of conjugations underneath.
You can explainthem with the above constructions. 
"Me gusta ir al parque a jugar al ftbol", Why is it necessary to say "a jugar" and not just "jugar". It all boils down to communication and understanding what the speaker/writer is truly expressing. Try one of our lessons. Why do women always tend to fall in love so fast? I hurried to read some volumes in the series. One major exception to this is when "noun + a + infinitive" is being used in the sense of "something to be done" as in "there's the work to be done" (you wouldn't say, "hay trabajo a hacer") or "the information to memorize" (don't use "la informacin a memorizar"). Thank you old friend , I have posted that reference for all to see . On the other hand, there are verbs that require different prepositions OR no preposition at all. Youll also encounter many verbs that go with a preposition (a small word like a, en,etc.) Romper (to suddenly begin): La pobre mujer rompi a llorar. Note that in English, in such cases we would oftenuse a gerund (a noun made from a verb ending in -ing) instead. Hackers are learning to camouflage their attack coding. I hope this helps, though! "Using 'A' After Verbs Before Infinitives." You could still a relative clause, but the preposition will always need to stay (i.e. In both English and Spanish, this is a Gallicism, but while it's acceptable in English, it's use isn't very widespread and Spanish and is generally looked down upon in formal settings. Aspirar (to aspire): Carlos aspiraba a ser senador. Learning Spanish becomes fun and easy when you learn with movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talks. It's pretty easy to avoid though. Alcanzar (to manage to): No alcanzaba a comprenderlo. Carlos aspired to be a senator. 
Or are you talking about that "in order to" which then requires para?
if you include "a" It means: I like to go to the Park to play football (or soccer). Certain prepositions are just needed with certain verbs to give them the meaning you are looking for. Download:
As you learn new verbs in Spanish, youll find that many of them can be followed by infinitives. Erichsen, Gerald. FluentU is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It just expresses the general idea that the action of the verb shouldnt be happening here. It corresponds to saying, "while/when/upon + gerund" in English. Ir (to go): Quieres saber cmo vas a morir? Going to the park. Lets take a look. Spanish infinitives always end in ar, eror ir. These always correspond to an English verb preceded by to. For example: Infinitives by themselves tell us what the action is, but they dont tell us whos doing it or when theyre doing it (past, present, future, etc.). Youve probably also learned the phraseme gusta_______, which means I like_______ or literally _______pleases me. That blank there is the subject again, and you can use an infinitive to talk about actions that you like. Its like dancingbachata without spins, or sticking withthe trusty old margarita pizza. These are pretty much analogous to saying things like "Dinner's ready!" Why Spanish would use "aspirbamos a nadar" (with an a) for "we aspired to swim" but "queramos nadar" (no a) for "we wanted to swim" appears arbitrary. I am inclined to read the best of the self-help literature. Try searching for a tutor. And youll even see them in all their simple, unadorned glory on signs. I'm not going to be young again. 
Keep in mind, when you need the preposition, it has nothing to do with the infinitive. Using Spanish infinitives is likeopting for basicvanilla instead of triple chocolate. That's why I stopped to read it. verbos de rgimen): 'ayudar a + infinitive'. Jose approached in order to see if I was OK. Acostumbrarse (to be used to): No me acostumbro a perder. There very well may be an explanation here, but I'm not sure what it is other than "that's the way it is." I am dedicating myself to do another type of humor. Volver (to do again): No volver a ser joven. Note that many of the verbs listed have more than one meaning; the meaning given is one that is often intended when the verb is followed by a and an infinitive: Acceder (to agree to): Los empresarios accedieron a estudiar las demandas de salario. Taking on Spanish means absorbing tons of suchconjugations. Something else will always be what's calling for it. answered 06/28/19, M.A.
We will arrive at having success. We stayed to live with my father.
Are there any rules to know when to use the 'a' or when not to use the 'a'?
You can use infinitives in this way when youre making broad statements about what an action is like, or what it does. Inclinarse (to be inclined): Me inclino a leer lo mejor de la literatura de autoayuda. Following are the most common verbs that should be followed by a before an infinitive. English examples would include: going to do (something), beginning to learn, learning to speak, wanting to leave, etc. So yeah, the two most common instances when "a + infinitive" is called for are: Verbal periphrasis: 'ir a + infinitive' (to be going to + [infinitive]). Another example is "Ella empez a caminar" -- empezar also requires an a. Don't look for a rule for prepositions, there is none. Decidirse (to decide): Me decid a comprarlo. This is confusing me a little bit. Most questions answered within 4 hours. Or neither of these?
or "Bed time!" a Question If youve learned the command forms (imperative mood) of verbs, youve probably wondered why you then see written signs in Spanish without those forms. it'll tell you what preposition to use).
But on signs its quite common to just use the infinitive. Here is a direct link to it: So that is why you will see a (or en, de, que, or por) before some infinitives. But what about thatsimple, unconjugated infinitive form of the verb itself? They help us talk in general terms about what actions are like, what wewant, what we hate doing and things that must be done. and are then followed by an infinitive. Quedarse (to remain): Nos quedamos a vivir con mi pap. Why do I need to put "a" before certain infinitives. "miedo a que se muera/muriera" NOT "miedo que se muera/muriera"). Listen to anySpanish conversationand youre bound to hear plentyof uses of the infinitive before long. They came to earn money. Often, the English equivalent makes use of the -ing form of the verb instead.
Prepositions can of course also show up in Spanish without anyverb before them. If I want to say Im speaking, for example, I would need to conjugatehablar in the present tense (yo hablo)or present progressive tense(estoy hablando). Si hay un problema, enve un mensaje personal (PM). When will I begin to feel better?
Infinitives come in handy when you want to talk about an action in a general way. So if you need a break from studying the hundreds of forms that Spanish conjugations can take, perhaps some work with these lovely, plain infinitives will seem relaxing. They promised to lower prices. Need help with something else? It's not like in English where sometimes you need 'to' and other types you don't need anything before an infinitive. Generally speaking, an infinitive will most likely be preceeded by either a conjugated verb or a preposition. Comenzar (to begin): Comienzas a pensar. (Such as ir+a+infinitive). As usual, Mose Hayward wrote this post on the roadthis time inthe Madrid airport. It is just how we speak.
Llegar (to arrive, to succeed): Llegaremos a tener xito. You just have to learn which verbs correspond with which preposition! Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998. What activities are interesting? "Using 'A' After Verbs Before Infinitives." Many verbs are followed by 'a.' We can say: "Me gusta jugar", but we have to say"Me gusta ir al parque" because the A in this case provides direction of action as in going where? This use is pretty easy to deal with. ThoughtCo. This post will do just that. How do I know when it is appropriate to put a before the verb in it's root form. Often, the English version of these infinitives translates as to + verb.. "Al + infinitive" is kind of similar so it's probably worth mentioning here. See if you can use them in some sample sentences like the ones above, and stay alert to such instances of ar, erand ir endings in constructions as you continue your Spanish adventure. SpanishDict is the world's most popular Spanish-English dictionary, translation, and learning website. As noted above, theyre what you see listed in a dictionary. Comprometerse (to promise): Se comprometieron a bajar los precios. All Rights Reserved. All the second nouns are infinitives in English which means the word "to" is part of the infinitive not the preceding verb. Parar (to stop): Pararon a comprar tortillas. The whole construction is call verbal periphrasis. Okay mate the letter "a" in Spanish means "to" so it would be: Without "a" It means: I like to go to the Park play football (or soccer). Which type of preposition necessary depends on the context. He lives and works out of the perfect wheeled carry-on backpack. Apresurarse (to hurry): Me apresur a leer algunos de los volmenes de la serie. Resignarse (to resign oneself): Me resign a ser vctima. Press J to jump to the feed. In English, we oftenrework such asentence into the passive voice to express the idea. The use of the preposition with each verb should feel automatic. Sometimes vanilla can give you quite enough to talk about. In this sentence Would it be the same explanation as the personal a or is it just like the English "to play basketball"? Had I left out the 'a' would the sentence be incorrect grammatically? I am sure there is a better grammatical explanation of this, but it has escaped me.
Negarse (to refuse): Al principio se neg a dar su nombre. If it is, use the structure that's indicated (i.e. Detenerse (to stop): Por eso me detuve a leerlo. We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. We do love our gerunds in English. Do you want to know how you're going to die? Infinitives arethe plain, basic forms of verbsbut theyre also highly useful to know about. https://www.thoughtco.com/using-a-after-verbs-before-infinitives-3079238 (accessed July 22, 2022). Spanish is equally challenging. And what do you do when you want to put a verb after the preposition? Everyone got down to see the phenomenon. At first, he refused to give his name. So, if we cant use infinitives to talk about whos doing what, what can we do with them? Acercarse (to approach): Jos se acerc a ver si yo estaba bien. Answer or ask questions, share information, stories and more on themes related to the 2nd most spoken language in the world. You of course asked why it was ir a jugar, not why it was jugar al ftbol, which might give a little different spin, but not enough to have me put it in. it can be conjugated to person and number in any tense or mood, or impersonal: an infinitive, participle or gerund -- this includes when a participle is being used as an adjective). We dont need "a" here and it still translates normally meaning "I want to play a game. 2022 Enux Education Limited. ThoughtCo, May. I wasn't able to understand it. In these cases, it's better to get rid of the 'a' and use a relative clause instead (i.e. With the infinitive form of a verb in English, (e.g. For example, one would say "ha tratado de caminar" or simply "ha intentado caminar." By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. We sat down to chat about all sorts of things. Tender (to tend to): Por que las mujeres siempre tienden a enamorarse tan rpido? They came in to talk with him. Queremos ayudarle, entonces hay que llenar su perfil. No packages or subscriptions, pay only for the time you need.
Welcome to the forum , we want to help you so fill out your profile If you have a problem PM a mod Bienvenido al foro. It applies to everyone in earshot, but the order is implicit. You guessed it, youll want the infinitive form! New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. There are certain verbs, and aprender is one of them, that need to be followed by a when followed by an infinitive. Need help with something else?
Alissa G. What actions do you like doing? This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you Common Verbs With "a" Before an Infinitive. Why do I listen to things but hear them, why not listen things and hear to them. I resigned myself to being a victim. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe, Spanish Infinitive Verbs: 5 Usual Uses of Spanishs Most Vanilla Verb Form, A Whole New World: How to Learn Spanish Grammar with Disney Songs, Master the Near Future with the Spanish Form ir + a + Infinitive, Learn Spanish Grammar and Vocabulary with These 12 Catchy Songs, 27 Superb Sites for Spanish Listening Practice to Amp Up Your Skills, The 22 Best Spanish Learning Websites for Language Mastery, The Complete Guide to the Intermediate Spanish Level: Courses, Tips and Inspiration. It is how it is. Choose an expert and meet online. To get a bit more concrete, infinitives are the verb forms you seewhen you pop open a Spanish dictionary ordictionaryapp. or "Time to wake up!". There are, of course, more possibilities.
Erichsen, Gerald. A link to the app was sent to your phone. This is analogous to things like "a fear of dying" or "a hope for finding a cure" in English. For Free, 2005 - 2022 Wyzant, Inc, a division of IXL Learning - All Rights Reserved |. Grammatically certain verbs require a preposition (sometimes a) after them if they are used in connection with an infinitive. So basically you add them to direct what you or something is doing. In particular, youre probably seeing signs that saythings like: Its true that inconversation you would say something like No fumes! (Dont smoke!) Its thus best to learn such verbs as short phrases, along with their prepositions. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. This can be kind of a sneaky way of saying that something needs to be taken care of without explicitly sayingwho should do it. The 'a' is not required by the infinitive form, it is required by 'obligar' in this sentence. Aprender (to learn): Los hackers aprenden a camuflar el cdigo de sus ataques. For example, "Ten cuidad al cruzar la calle" (Be careful while crossing the street / Be careful while you're crossing the street). I don't have a list of these, but a common example is "tener miedo a + infintive' (e.g.
Click here to get a copy. He began to talk in the third person. tiene miedo a enamorarse / he's afraid to fall in love). Having trouble explaining the a in the following sentence?Quieres aprender a jugar baloncesto? I don't know what to call this, maybe 'implied (collective) commands' or something, but you can say "a + infinitive" as sort of implied command.
Getting rid of the preposition in the former group (i.e. In more complex sentences, they follow prepositions to communicate all kinds of information about when and how things are happening.
Are you using a phrase that already requires a certain preposition? Get a free answer to a quick problem. Erichsen, Gerald. For these two, check to see if the verb immediately before the 'a + infinitive' is on this list. That is, they can follow a verb and grammatically be considered the thing being acted on. The key is not in jugar it is in ir. Usually if a noun can take such a prepositional phrase in English, it probably can as well in Spanish, though there's not guarantee so you may want to look up the noun to see if it can in Spanish. Ponerse (to start): Se puso a hablar en tercera persona. Spanish; Language Expert with Experience Living Abroad. I decided to buy it. or No toques eso(Dont touch that). (Download). Even though you already chose bosquederoble's answer as best, I hope you will check out mine and study the link I provided. I'm not sure whether this list is exhaustive, but I've never notice anything missing. ", Well I would say because it is not being directed towards anything in general ,like when you said "I like to go to the park" you are directing it to the park.But when you say I want to play a game,you aren't being specific with what you are directing it. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/using-a-after-verbs-before-infinitives-3079238. Dedicarse (to devote oneself): me dedico a hacer otro tipo de humor. What about this sentence, "Quiero jugar un partido." If not, the only other times its possible are: When a noun is taking a prepositional phrase as its modifier. You're beginning to think. I think that's pretty much it. Verbs that require prepositional complements (a.k.a.
(2021, May 24).
Great question! Dontwe ever get to use that? When they left they began to run. They stopped to buy tortillas. I was wondering if there are some common rules for when to place prepositions before infinitive verbs, and which to use. "the work that I have to do" / "el trabajo que tengo que hacer" and "information that's needs to be memorized" / "informacin que hay que memorizar"). Echar (to begin): Cuando salieron se echaron a correr.
24, 2021, thoughtco.com/using-a-after-verbs-before-infinitives-3079238. Spanish infinitives can also function as objects. Why do I look at things but view them- why not look things but view at them. Conjugated verb before infinitive (no preposition required). Pasar (to come in): Pasaron a hablar con l.