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Infinitive as a Noun and After Prepositions (antes de salir, al llegar)",null,{"type":49,"value":50,"toc":749},"minimark",[51,56,99,124,129,139,167,177,184,204,221,225,238,396,399,437,451,455,477,503,526,530,545,569,579,583,616,620,637,661,679,692,698,702],[52,53,55],"h1",{"id":54},"the-infinitive-as-a-noun-and-after-prepositions","The Infinitive as a Noun and After Prepositions",[57,58,59,60,64,65,68,69,72,73,76,77,80,81,84,85,87,88,91,92,91,95,98],"p",{},"There is one mistake English learners of Spanish make more than any other, and it is not a matter of vocabulary or accents. It is the ",[61,62,63],"strong",{},"-ing form",". In English, when an action behaves like a noun - ",[61,66,67],{},"smoking"," is bad, before ",[61,70,71],{},"leaving",", without ",[61,74,75],{},"thinking",", on ",[61,78,79],{},"arriving"," - we end it in ",[61,82,83],{},"-ing",". So learners go looking for a Spanish ",[61,86,83],{}," to match, and reach for the gerund: ",[61,89,90],{},"fumando",", ",[61,93,94],{},"saliendo",[61,96,97],{},"pensando",". It is wrong nearly every time.",[57,100,101,102,104,105,108,109,91,112,115,116,119,120,123],{},"Where English uses the noun-like ",[61,103,83],{},", Spanish uses the plain ",[61,106,107],{},"infinitive"," - the dictionary form ending in ",[61,110,111],{},"-ar",[61,113,114],{},"-er"," or ",[61,117,118],{},"-ir",". The infinitive is not just a verb waiting to be conjugated. It is Spanish's ",[61,121,122],{},"verbal noun",": it names the action, it works as a subject, and it slots in after every preposition. Learn that one fact and a whole category of errors disappears.",[125,126,128],"h2",{"id":127},"the-infinitive-as-a-noun","The infinitive as a noun",[57,130,131,132,135,136,138],{},"An infinitive can be the ",[61,133,134],{},"subject"," of a sentence - the thing the sentence is about - exactly where English would use the ",[61,137,83],{}," form.",[140,141,142,149,155,161],"ul",{},[143,144,145,148],"li",{},[61,146,147],{},"Fumar es malo."," (Smoking is bad.)",[143,150,151,154],{},[61,152,153],{},"Nadar es mi deporte favorito."," (Swimming is my favourite sport.)",[143,156,157,160],{},[61,158,159],{},"Viajar abre la mente."," (Travelling opens the mind.)",[143,162,163,166],{},[61,164,165],{},"Aprender idiomas es útil."," (Learning languages is useful.)",[57,168,169,170,115,173,176],{},"Notice there is no ",[61,171,172],{},"-ando",[61,174,175],{},"-iendo"," anywhere. The subject is the bare infinitive, and the verb that follows it is singular, because a nominalised infinitive counts as a masculine singular noun.",[57,178,179,180,183],{},"You can also put the article ",[61,181,182],{},"el"," in front, which makes the action sound a touch more abstract or weighty - common in general truths and headlines.",[140,185,186,192,198],{},[143,187,188,191],{},[61,189,190],{},"El comer bien es importante."," (Eating well is important.)",[143,193,194,197],{},[61,195,196],{},"El fumar perjudica la salud."," (Smoking harms your health.)",[143,199,200,203],{},[61,201,202],{},"El viajar cuesta dinero."," (Travelling costs money.)",[57,205,206,207,209,210,213,214,216,217,220],{},"The ",[61,208,182],{}," is optional. ",[61,211,212],{},"Comer bien es importante"," is just as correct and slightly more everyday. But when you do use an article, it is always ",[61,215,182],{}," - masculine, singular, whatever the verb. You would never write ",[61,218,219],{},"la comer"," or try to make it plural.",[125,222,224],{"id":223},"the-infinitive-after-prepositions","The infinitive after prepositions",[57,226,227,228,231,232,234,235,237],{},"This is the big one. After ",[61,229,230],{},"every"," preposition, Spanish uses the ",[61,233,107],{}," where English uses the ",[61,236,83],{}," form. There are no exceptions to hunt for.",[239,240,241,257],"table",{},[242,243,244],"thead",{},[245,246,247,251,254],"tr",{},[248,249,250],"th",{},"Preposition",[248,252,253],{},"Spanish",[248,255,256],{},"English",[258,259,260,277,294,310,327,344,361,379],"tbody",{},[245,261,262,266,272],{},[263,264,265],"td",{},"antes de",[263,267,268,269],{},"antes de ",[61,270,271],{},"salir",[263,273,274,275],{},"before ",[61,276,71],{},[245,278,279,282,288],{},[263,280,281],{},"después de",[263,283,284,285],{},"después de ",[61,286,287],{},"comer",[263,289,290,291],{},"after ",[61,292,293],{},"eating",[245,295,296,299,305],{},[263,297,298],{},"sin",[263,300,301,302],{},"sin ",[61,303,304],{},"pensar",[263,306,307,308],{},"without ",[61,309,75],{},[245,311,312,315,321],{},[263,313,314],{},"para",[263,316,317,318],{},"para ",[61,319,320],{},"ganar",[263,322,323,324],{},"in order to ",[61,325,326],{},"win",[245,328,329,332,338],{},[263,330,331],{},"en vez de",[263,333,334,335],{},"en vez de ",[61,336,337],{},"trabajar",[263,339,340,341],{},"instead of ",[61,342,343],{},"working",[245,345,346,349,355],{},[263,347,348],{},"además de",[263,350,351,352],{},"además de ",[61,353,354],{},"ser",[263,356,357,358],{},"besides ",[61,359,360],{},"being",[245,362,363,366,373],{},[263,364,365],{},"por",[263,367,368,369,372],{},"por ",[61,370,371],{},"llegar"," tarde",[263,374,375,376,378],{},"for ",[61,377,79],{}," late",[245,380,381,384,390],{},[263,382,383],{},"hasta",[263,385,386,387],{},"hasta ",[61,388,389],{},"terminar",[263,391,392,393],{},"until ",[61,394,395],{},"finishing",[57,397,398],{},"Some of these in full sentences:",[140,400,401,407,413,419,425,431],{},[143,402,403,406],{},[61,404,405],{},"Antes de salir, cierra la puerta."," (Before leaving, close the door.)",[143,408,409,412],{},[61,410,411],{},"Después de comer, dormimos la siesta."," (After eating, we have a nap.)",[143,414,415,418],{},[61,416,417],{},"Se fue sin decir nada."," (He left without saying anything.)",[143,420,421,424],{},[61,422,423],{},"Estudio para aprobar el examen."," (I study in order to pass the exam.)",[143,426,427,430],{},[61,428,429],{},"En vez de trabajar, se quedó en la cama."," (Instead of working, he stayed in bed.)",[143,432,433,436],{},[61,434,435],{},"Además de ser guapo, es simpático."," (Besides being handsome, he is nice.)",[57,438,439,440,115,443,446,447,450],{},"Every single one uses the infinitive. Say ",[61,441,442],{},"antes de saliendo",[61,444,445],{},"sin pensando"," and you have marked yourself as a beginner in three words. The rule is watertight: ",[61,448,449],{},"preposition + infinitive",", never preposition + gerund.",[125,452,454],{"id":453},"al-infinitive-on-upon-doing-or-when","al + infinitive: \"on \u002F upon doing\" or \"when\"",[57,456,457,458,461,462,465,466,115,469,472,473,476],{},"There is one preposition-plus-infinitive combination worth its own section, because it does something English handles with a whole clause. ",[61,459,460],{},"Al"," (the contraction of ",[61,463,464],{},"a + el",") followed by an infinitive means ",[61,467,468],{},"\"on\"",[61,470,471],{},"\"upon\""," doing something, or simply ",[61,474,475],{},"\"when\""," it happens. It ties one action to the exact moment of another.",[140,478,479,485,491,497],{},[143,480,481,484],{},[61,482,483],{},"Al llegar a casa, me quité los zapatos."," (On arriving home, I took off my shoes.)",[143,486,487,490],{},[61,488,489],{},"Al verla, sonrió."," (On seeing her, he smiled.)",[143,492,493,496],{},[61,494,495],{},"Al oír la noticia, se puso a llorar."," (On hearing the news, she burst into tears.)",[143,498,499,502],{},[61,500,501],{},"Al abrir la puerta, noté el frío."," (When I opened the door, I felt the cold.)",[57,504,505,506,509,510,513,514,517,518,521,522,525],{},"The clever part is that ",[61,507,508],{},"al + infinitive"," carries no tense of its own - it borrows its timing from the main verb. ",[61,511,512],{},"Al salir"," can mean \"when I leave\", \"when I left\" or \"when I will leave\", entirely depending on the surrounding sentence. It is far more compact than a full ",[61,515,516],{},"cuando"," clause, and much more natural in speech: ",[61,519,520],{},"al terminar, te llamo"," (when I finish, I'll call you) beats the wordier ",[61,523,524],{},"cuando termine, te llamo"," for a quick, simultaneous action.",[125,527,529],{"id":528},"after-verbs-too","After verbs, too",[57,531,532,533,536,537,540,541,544],{},"The infinitive is also the form that follows another conjugated verb directly - ",[61,534,535],{},"quiero comer"," (I want to eat), ",[61,538,539],{},"puedo ir"," (I can go). And crucially, after ",[61,542,543],{},"gustar"," and its relatives, the thing you like is expressed as an infinitive, not a gerund.",[140,546,547,557,563],{},[143,548,549,552,553,556],{},[61,550,551],{},"Me gusta nadar."," (I like swimming.) Never ",[61,554,555],{},"me gusta nadando",".",[143,558,559,562],{},[61,560,561],{},"Nos encanta viajar."," (We love travelling.)",[143,564,565,568],{},[61,566,567],{},"Le molesta esperar."," (Waiting annoys him.)",[57,570,571,572,574,575,578],{},"English \"I like swimming\" fools learners into ",[61,573,555],{}," constantly. It is ",[61,576,577],{},"me gusta nadar",": the infinitive naming the activity you enjoy.",[125,580,582],{"id":581},"where-the-gerund-actually-belongs","Where the gerund actually belongs",[57,584,585,586,91,589,91,592,595,596,599,600,603,604,607,608,611,612,615],{},"To keep the line clear: the Spanish gerund (",[61,587,588],{},"hablando",[61,590,591],{},"comiendo",[61,593,594],{},"viviendo",") has real jobs, just not these ones. It describes an action ",[61,597,598],{},"in progress",", usually with ",[61,601,602],{},"estar"," - ",[61,605,606],{},"estoy comiendo"," (I am eating) - or works like an adverb - ",[61,609,610],{},"salió corriendo"," (he ran out). Those are separate topics. The moment an action needs to behave like a ",[61,613,614],{},"noun"," - as a subject, or after a preposition - the gerund steps aside and the infinitive takes over.",[125,617,619],{"id":618},"common-mistakes-english-speakers-make","Common mistakes English speakers make",[57,621,622,625,626,629,630,633,634,636],{},[61,623,624],{},"Translating the noun-like -ing with a gerund."," \"Smoking is bad\" becomes ",[61,627,628],{},"fumando es malo"," in the learner's head; it is ",[61,631,632],{},"fumar es malo",". Any ",[61,635,83],{}," that works as a subject is an infinitive in Spanish.",[57,638,639,642,643,91,646,91,648,651,652,91,655,91,658,556],{},[61,640,641],{},"Using the gerund after a preposition."," ",[61,644,645],{},"Antes de saliendo",[61,647,445],{},[61,649,650],{},"después de comiendo"," are all wrong. After a preposition the form is invariably the infinitive: ",[61,653,654],{},"antes de salir",[61,656,657],{},"sin pensar",[61,659,660],{},"después de comer",[57,662,663,666,667,91,669,672,673,91,675,678],{},[61,664,665],{},"Saying me gusta nadando."," After ",[61,668,543],{},[61,670,671],{},"encantar"," and friends, the activity is an infinitive: ",[61,674,577],{},[61,676,677],{},"le encanta cantar",". The gerund never appears here.",[57,680,681,684,685,688,689,691],{},[61,682,683],{},"Forgetting that al means \"on\u002Fwhen\"."," Learners read ",[61,686,687],{},"al llegar"," as \"to the arrive\" and freeze. It is a fixed construction: ",[61,690,508],{}," = \"on doing \u002F when doing\", with its tense borrowed from the main verb.",[57,693,694,695,697],{},"Get these two uses right - the infinitive as a noun, and the infinitive after prepositions - and you will already sound markedly less like a translated Englishman. When in doubt and an ",[61,696,83],{}," is tugging at you, reach for the infinitive first.",[125,699,701],{"id":700},"see-also","See also",[140,703,704,716,723,739],{},[143,705,706,711,712,715],{},[707,708,710],"a",{"href":709},"\u002Fspanish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fpresent-progressive","The present progressive with estar"," - where the gerund ",[61,713,714],{},"does"," belong: describing an action in progress right now.",[143,717,718,722],{},[707,719,721],{"href":720},"\u002Fspanish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fgerund-uses","The adverbial gerund"," - the gerund's other job, working like an adverb alongside another verb.",[143,724,725,729,730,91,733,91,736,556],{},[707,726,728],{"href":727},"\u002Fspanish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fverbs-with-prepositions","Verbs with prepositions"," - many of these verbs are followed by an infinitive: ",[61,731,732],{},"insistir en saber",[61,734,735],{},"dejar de fumar",[61,737,738],{},"empezar a llover",[143,740,206,741,745,746,748],{},[707,742,744],{"href":743},"\u002Fspanish\u002Fgrammar","Spanish grammar cheatsheet"," has the infinitive-after-prepositions rule and the ",[61,747,508],{}," pattern on one card.",{"title":750,"searchDepth":751,"depth":751,"links":752},"",2,[753,754,755,756,757,758,759],{"id":127,"depth":751,"text":128},{"id":223,"depth":751,"text":224},{"id":453,"depth":751,"text":454},{"id":528,"depth":751,"text":529},{"id":581,"depth":751,"text":582},{"id":618,"depth":751,"text":619},{"id":700,"depth":751,"text":701},"B1-B2","Where English reaches for the -ing form, Spanish reaches for the infinitive: fumar es malo, antes de salir, al llegar. The nominal and prepositional uses of the infinitive.",[763,795],{"type":764,"instructions":765,"items":766},"fill-blank","Fill the gap with the correct infinitive of the verb in brackets. Remember: after a preposition, and as the noun\u002Fsubject of a clause, Spanish uses the infinitive, never the -ing form.",[767,771,774,778,782,785,788,791],{"prompt":768,"answer":769,"hint":770},"___ es malo para la salud. (fumar)","Fumar","smoking = the subject",{"prompt":772,"answer":271,"hint":773},"Antes de ___, apaga la luz. (salir)","before leaving",{"prompt":775,"answer":776,"hint":777},"Se fue sin ___ nada. (decir)","decir","without saying",{"prompt":779,"answer":780,"hint":781},"Estudio mucho para ___ el examen. (aprobar)","aprobar","in order to pass",{"prompt":783,"answer":371,"hint":784},"Al ___ a casa, me quité los zapatos. (llegar)","on arriving",{"prompt":786,"answer":337,"hint":787},"En vez de ___, deberías descansar. (trabajar)","instead of working",{"prompt":789,"answer":354,"hint":790},"Además de ___ guapo, es simpático. (ser)","besides being",{"prompt":792,"answer":793,"hint":794},"Después de ___, fuimos al cine. (cenar)","cenar","after having dinner",{"type":796,"instructions":797,"items":798},"which-one","Choose the correct form. Spanish uses the infinitive as a noun and after prepositions where English uses the -ing form.",[799,804,809,812,817,820],{"prompt":800,"answer":801,"options":802},"Me gusta ___ por la playa.","pasear",[801,803],"paseando",{"prompt":805,"answer":806,"options":807},"___ idiomas abre puertas.","Aprender",[806,808],"Aprendiendo",{"prompt":810,"answer":304,"options":811},"Lo hizo sin ___.",[304,97],{"prompt":813,"answer":814,"options":815},"Al ___ la noticia, se puso a llorar.","oír",[814,816],"oyendo",{"prompt":818,"answer":287,"options":819},"El ___ bien es importante.",[287,591],{"prompt":821,"answer":822,"options":823},"Insisto en ___ la verdad.","saber",[822,824],"sabiendo","md",[827,830,833,836],{"q":828,"a":829},"Why does Spanish use the infinitive where English uses the -ing form?","Because the infinitive is the verbal noun in Spanish, doing the job English hands to the gerund. When an action works as a noun - as the subject of a sentence, or as the thing that follows a preposition - Spanish reaches for the infinitive, not the -ing form. So 'smoking is bad' is fumar es malo, and 'before leaving' is antes de salir. The Spanish gerund (fumando, saliendo) exists, but it is reserved for other jobs: describing an action in progress with estar, or acting like an adverb. After a preposition or as a subject, it is simply wrong. The safe rule: translate an English noun-like -ing with the infinitive.",{"q":831,"a":832},"What does al + infinitive mean in Spanish?","Al + infinitive means 'on' or 'upon' doing something, or 'when' something happens - a neat way to pin one action to the moment of another. Al llegar a casa is 'on arriving home' or 'when I got home'; al verla, sonrió is 'on seeing her, he smiled'. It is formed from the contraction al (a + el) plus the plain infinitive, and it takes its timing from the main verb, so al salir can mean 'when I leave', 'when I left' or 'when I will leave' depending on context. It is compact, common and very natural - far more idiomatic than a full cuando clause for a quick simultaneous action.",{"q":834,"a":835},"Can you put the article el in front of an infinitive in Spanish?","Yes. Adding el turns the infinitive into a full-blown noun, often to make a general statement sound weightier or more abstract: el comer bien es importante (eating well is important), el fumar perjudica la salud (smoking harms your health). The bare infinitive works too - comer bien es importante is perfectly correct - so the el is optional and slightly more formal or emphatic. Note the article is always el, masculine singular, regardless of the verb, because a nominalised infinitive is treated as a masculine noun. You would never use la or make it plural.",{"q":837,"a":838},"What is the difference between the infinitive and the gerund in Spanish?","They divide the labour that English piles onto the -ing form. The infinitive (hablar, comer, vivir) is the verbal noun: it names the action and works as a subject or after a preposition - hablar es fácil (speaking is easy), sin comer (without eating). The gerund (hablando, comiendo, viviendo) is the verbal adverb: it describes an action in progress, mostly with estar (estoy comiendo, I am eating), or modifies another verb (salió corriendo, he ran out). The classic error is using the gerund where the infinitive belongs. 'I like swimming' is me gusta nadar, never 'me gusta nadando'.","higher","Here is the single most reliable way to spot an English speaker writing Spanish: they translate the -ing form literally. In English, the action-word that behaves like a noun ends in -ing - smoking is bad, before leaving, without thinking, on arriving - and the instinct is to hunt for a Spanish -ing to match it. That instinct is wrong almost every time. Where English uses the gerund (-ing) as a noun or after a preposition, Spanish uses the plain infinitive: fumar es malo (smoking is bad), antes de salir (before leaving), sin pensar (without thinking), al llegar (on arriving). The infinitive - the dictionary form ending in -ar, -er or -ir - is not just a verb waiting to be conjugated; it is Spanish's all-purpose verbal noun. It names the action, it works as a subject, it slots in after every preposition, and it never, ever takes the gerund's job in these roles. This page sorts out the two big uses that trip everyone up: the infinitive as a noun, and the infinitive after prepositions, including the compact al + infinitive that means 'on' or 'upon' doing something.","spanish",{},true,"\u002Fspanish\u002Fgrammar\u002Finfinitive-uses",{"title":46,"description":761},"spanish\u002Fgrammar\u002Finfinitive-uses","bBi2hRKavg-ipNOx0mFxFdcRQizW0SZ7vE6TlXMMMg0",[],{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":850},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":852},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M12 15V3m9 12v4a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2v-4\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m7 10l5 5l5-5\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":854},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M20 20a2 2 0 0 0 2-2V8a2 2 0 0 0-2-2h-7.9a2 2 0 0 1-1.69-.9L9.6 3.9A2 2 0 0 0 7.93 3H4a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v13a2 2 0 0 0 2 2Zm-8-10v6\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m15 13l-3 3l-3-3\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":856},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M11 4.702a.705.705 0 0 0-1.203-.498L6.413 7.587A1.4 1.4 0 0 1 5.416 8H3a1 1 0 0 0-1 1v6a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h2.416a1.4 1.4 0 0 1 .997.413l3.383 3.384A.705.705 0 0 0 11 19.298zM16 9a5 5 0 0 1 0 6m3.364 3.364a9 9 0 0 0 0-12.728\"\u002F>"]