Unit 91 Guidebook: use the infinitive

KEY PHRASES

Use the infinitive

Voglio stare da solo.
I want to be alone.
A mio nonno piace leggere.
My grandfather likes to read.
Possiamo avere un cucchiaio?
Can we have a spoon?
Non ti ho visto arrivare.
I didn't see you arrive.
TIP

Voglio mangiare!

Amare, vedere, and sentire, are all infinitives. In English, infinitives are usually used with to (as in to eat), but in Italian, infinitives don't require a word like to. To say I want to eat, you would simply say: Voglio mangiare.

Voglio mangiare adesso.
I want to eat now.
Non mi piace stare qui.
I do not like to stay here.
TIP

‑are, ‑ere, ‑ire

Italian has three verb groups based on their infinitive endings: ‑are, ‑ere, and ‑ire. Here's something to remind you the ending patterns for the verbs of each group.

subject verb (trovare)
io
I		 trovo
find
tu
you		 trovi
find
lui / lei
he / she		 trova
finds
noi
we		 troviamo
find
voi
you all		 trovate
find
loro
they		 trovano
find
subject verb (credere)
io
I		 credo
believe
tu
you		 credi
believe
lui / lei
he / she		 crede
believes
noi
we		 crediamo
believe
voi
you all		 credete
believe
loro
they		 credono
believe
subject verb (offrire)
io
I		 offro
offer
tu
you		 offri
offer
lui / lei
he / she		 offre
offers
noi
we		 offriamo
offer
voi
you all		 offrite
offer
loro
they		 offrono
offer
TIP

To be, being, or just be?

You’ve seen that Italian infinitives (like essere) usually correspond to a verb with to in English, for example to be.

Vuoi essere il mio ragazzo?
Do you want to be my boyfriend?

But they also correspond to the ‑ing version of the verb (like being), or just the verb on its own (like be).

Mi piace essere da sola.
I like being alone.
Non può essere vero.
It cannot be true.