Ch 33 · Lesson 9Spanish · Chapter 33 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
The infinitive as a noun: fumar es malo
Where English reaches for the -ing form, Spanish uses the bare infinitive: (smoking is bad), (I like swimming).
The short version
: an -ing subject is the infinitive
.
Why?Hide
Where English uses an -ing form as the subject, Spanish uses the infinitive: , . After the activity is the subject too, so , never . The verb stays singular: .
Infinitive or -ing? At a glance
English -ing does many jobs. Here are four: Spanish gives the first three to the infinitive and only the last to the gerund.
| Job | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| a subject | . | Smoking is bad. |
| after | . | I like swimming. |
| after a preposition | | before leaving |
| in progress | . | I'm eating. |
If the -ing works like a noun, it is the infinitive. The gerund is for what is happening, as in the present progressive.
The infinitive as a subject
An infinitive can be the subject of a sentence, exactly where English puts an -ing noun:
| Subject | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| smoking | . | Smoking is bad. |
| travelling | . | Travelling broadens the mind. |
| learning | . | Learning languages is useful. |
| cooking | . | Cooking relaxes me. |
The verb after it is singular, because an infinitive counts as one masculine singular noun. You can put in front, which sounds a touch more formal:
.- Eating well is important..- Eating well is important.
The article is , never . (A few infinitives have become ordinary nouns with a plural: , duty, , homework.)
Me gusta nadar: after gustar
After gustar and verbs like it, the activity you like is the subject of the verb, so it is an infinitive too:
| Verb | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
. | I like swimming. | |
. | We love travelling. | |
. | Waiting annoys him/her. | |
| two of them | . | I like singing and dancing. |
In standard Spanish stays singular even with two infinitives: , not " ". Only plural nouns make it plural: . (I like dogs.)
Going further: After a preposition: antes de salir and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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