Another common use is in giving directions, especially in cooking. When the subject of the main clause and the subordinate clause is the same: The sentence Elise est contente qu’elle soit à l’heure (Elise is happy that she is on time) can be rewritten using the infinitive as Elise est contente d’être à l’heure (Elise is happy to be on time). 2. Examples: vouloir c'est pouvoir = where there is a will, there is a way. TRÈS IMPORTANT: Unlike my level A2 lesson, this is a course about verbs when followed both by infinitives as well as nouns. An answer key is provided. ), Apprendre le chinois est difficile. Impersonal verbs are only used with il (meaning it) and in the infinitive. The infinitive is a basic French grammar structure used for verbs. I thought the best thing to do would be to provide you with comprehensive lists and practice resources. The following French verbs can be followed immediately by verbs in the infinitive form. Noun Adjective. Once you’re comfortable with those, take this fill-in-the-blank preposition quiz. Just like with practicing scales on an instrument, it pays to stay on top of the infinitive, so you can locate it and use it in a sentence at the drop of a hat. Many French verbs can be followed by another verb in the infinitive. Object, reflexive and adverbial pronouns are usually placed between the two verbs and after the preposition (if there is one) that follows the conjugated verb: Caroline doit se laver les mains. There are even some surprise cards which include other ways to use these difficult prepositions! The infinitive is used as a noun, but not like a noun. Je suis désolé(e) de ne pas être arrivé(e) à l’heure. Unlike English, French does not use the present participle as a noun form of a verb. (Caroline must wash her hands.). Translation of "infinitive" in French. The French infinitive can be used in place of the subjunctive mood in two instances. Click here for an A2 level lesson on verbs followed directly by infinitives or prepositions and enroll in my full course for free @ LLL French Academy. If an additional verb is required to make a sentence meaningful, it must be employed in the infinitive. 2 – French Verb of Motions Are Usually Followed by an Infinitive (no Preposition) Note also that most verbs of motion are followed by an infinitive when you use them to say “to go up to do something”… So followed by “faire quelque chose”… Example: descendre faire la cuisine = to go downstairs to cook. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. One of them will have to be in the infinitive. J’aurais préféré avoir mangé plus tôt. Example: penser In the affirmative, the French verb penser expresses a firm opinion: the dependent clause does not therefore normally have a verb in the subjunctive. ), Verser la farine dans le saladier. The second conjugation refers to those verbs whose infinitive form ends in -ėti. A note on word order and the past infinitive: In day-to-day French, negative constructions precede the infinitive. This means you’ll come across the infinitive in the context of warnings as well as in instruction manuals and in recipes. Case of reflexive infinitives . ), Après avoir mangé, j’étais moins énérvé(e). In French the most common are: vouloir - to want, devoir - to have to, pouvoir - to be able. See how “infinitive” is translated from English to French with more examples in context In either case, you start with the basics. (Jean is not going to eat tonight.). The infinitive is the basic, unconjugated form of a verb, sometimes called the name of the verb. Way to not split the infinitive. The French infinitives can be grouped by their endings: -er (parler), -ir (finir), -re (prendre) or -oir (voir). As a noun, the French infinitive is translated as the English present participle when it’s employed as a noun. The construction is known as the causative, and as its name suggests, it's used whenever the subject is causing something to happen. Show always the foreign infinitive if possible. Download the list without examples and keep it as a reference. The past infinitive denotes an action that occurs before the action of the main verb. Examples of common infinitive verbs include: to be (I want to be an astronaut.) So, for example, if you want to say “I like to run,” only the verb aimer (to like) would be conjugated: You can hear several examples of this construction in this slightly odd video about what the filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet likes and dislikes. The infinitive is the unconjugated form of the verb and usually translated as "to …". (Elise is happy to have moved. Le mouvement de Telekinetic se produit avec une vitesse d'infinitif. Basile adore se coucher tard. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, unconjugated verbs are not just a thing of your early French-learning days. The two verbs may be linked by nothing at all, or by the preposition à or de. I like to read / I like reading. (Learning Chinese is difficult.). This phenomenon can be divided into two categories: verbs that must be followed by a preposition (see lesson) and the passive infinitive, which you will … For example: regard er (to watch), fin ir (to finish), vend re (to sell). It’s what you look up in dictionaries and verb conjugation tables, so it’s important to learn the infinitive of every new verb you see or hear. 6. List of French Verbs Followed by the Preposition À + INFINITIVE, French Writing & Reading Primary Curriculum, Click here for an A2 level lesson on verbs followed directly by infinitives or prepositions, SUPPORT LLL’S WORK AND UNLOCK FRENCH REWARDS, FULL B1 LEVEL COURSE ON VERBS FOLLOWED BY INFINITIVES OR PREPOSITIONS, THIS LESSON IS INCLUDED IN JENNIFER’S FRENCH PROGRAM FOR SELF-LEARNERS, French ER Verbs with Negation - Present Tense and Passé Composé, Je suis confus(e) - Common Mistake in French, List of Regular French Verbs Ending in -ER, Countries, Nationalities and Languages in French, French Passé Composé with Être - List of Verbs, French Relative Pronouns: QUI - QUE - OÙ - DONT, French Past Tense Story - Le Passé Composé. Many translated example sentences containing "infinitive clause" – French-English dictionary and search engine for French translations. In this post, we’ll look at how flexible the French infinitive really is, and how it can contribute to your mastery of French. So, speaking of word order, let’s talk about word order in the context of the French infinitive. Resources and Lessons for French Learners and Teachers. The infinitive mood is used when the infinitive of a verb is the subject of a sentences. Download your test and see how you do. (Reading is traveling. (Never leave it open.). faire – to do, to make However, this isn’t always correct. "Frire" means "to fry" because it is in infinitive. Check out my full course which includes examples in French and… All Rights Reserved. English Translation of “infinitif” | The official Collins French-English Dictionary online. I hate getting up early. In French, infinitives form the base and are the first step we understand about verbs in the language. For example parler (to speak), finir (to finish), and vendre (to sell). Other translations. Better yet, since that video is available on FluentU, you don’t have to worry about missing a word. (It’s difficult to talk to Adrien. Fill in the blanks with À, DE, or NOTHING at all with verbs followed by infinitives and nouns. In English the-ing form of the verb is used. I hate to eat spinach / I hate eating spinach. I know that "prêt" means ready, but mostly I don't understand why the "à" was necessary. In French, unconjugated verbs end in either -er, -re or -ir. voter est un droit. There's a simple French construction you can use when you're talking about getting someone to do something: faire ("to make" or "to do") + infinitive. Over 100,000 French translations of English words and phrases. It will not be helpful to translate from English to French because many times we don’t need prepositions in English even though they’re essential in French. lots of french verbs in infinitive form Learn with flashcards, games, and more — for free. Negative constructions should surround the conjugated verb and precede the preposition, if there is one: Jean ne va pas manger ce soir. Infinitive verbs are not conjugated like other verbs; they stay in their infinitive forms in a sentence. monter (to go upstairs), (I am sorry for not having arrived on time.). This lesson is more advanced and includes more verbs than my A2 level lesson. In ordinary French, the use of the infinitive as subject is infrequent; it is more usual to use the infinitive as a dislocated term. You like going for a walk. The prepositions À and DE are not required. Learning French is like learning a musical instrument. Je déteste me lever tôt. The French infinitive is actually rather versatile and unconjugated French verbs have a variety of uses. Hear about what's new at the LLL French Academy, and receive updates on new blog posts and other learning resources that you're going to love! Par exemple… In French, infinitives end in -er, -ir or -re, which gives an indication of the verb family (or conjugation) that they belong to. Modifying the adjective in the main clause: Elise est contente d’avoir déménagé. In French, two conjugated verbs in a row is a no-no (or should I say a non-non). 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. When you have a sentence that contains both pronouns and a negative construction, the negative construction precedes the pronouns: Ne jamais la laisser ouverte. Highlight the verbs and infinitives as you read the sentences aloud. (In a case like this, you’re actually required to use the infinitive because in the first example, elle would refer to someone else, not Elise.). Thanks for subscribing! If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn French with real-world videos. Let’s take a look at them, shall we? What more is there to know about it other than the mere fact of its existence? Many translated example sentences containing "verbs in the infinitive" – French-English dictionary and search engine for French translations. On the box, it said "ready to fry" and the French translation said "Prêt à frire". Both elements of a negative construction precede the infinitive: Ne jamais laisser la fenêtre ouverte. (Thank you for having invited me.). The past infinitive is used in four instances. In French, infinitive verbs always end in either er, re, or ir. (Put on a safety helmet. B1 LEVEL: FRENCH VERBS FOLLOWED BY INFINITIVES OR NOUNS. Un moyen de ne pas diviser l'infinitif. If two verbs are right next to each other in a sentence, the first one will be conjugated and the second one will be in the infinitive. can take anywhere. Telekinetic motion is occurring with an infinitive velocity. When the subject of the main clause and the subordinate clause is the same: The sentence Elise est contente qu’elle soit à l’heure (Elise is happy that she is on time) can be rewritten using the infinitive as Elise est contente d’être à l’heure (Elise is happy to be on time). They are called impersonal verbs because il does not really refer to a real person, animal or thing, just like it and there in English in the examples below. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. When two verbs are following each other. The French infinitive can be used to construct interrogative or exclamative phrases in the context of a dilemma: Quelle couleur choisir ? The best thing to do is work on memorizing these lists. STEP 1:  Verbs + no preposition + infinitive. This is the purest, unconjugated part through which you later conjugate new constructions and make sentences. (You must get dressed.). infinitif. Even in languages that have infinitives, similar constructions are sometimes necessary where English would allow the infinitive. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe, Sign up for our weekly blog newsletter for a chance to win a free FluentU Plus subscription (value $240), Get regular language learning tips, resources and updates, starting with the "Complete Guide to Foreign Language Immersion" e-book. Highlight the verbs and nouns as you read the sentences aloud. The sentences are the same as the ones on the practice cards, so don’t begin this final step until you feel you’re ready for the challenge! Mettre un casque de sécurité. Over 100,000 English translations of French words and phrases. If true, the Spanish infinitive will always be used. C’est difficile de discuter avec Adrien. ), Lire, c’est voyager. You can form an infinitive verb by adding "to" in front of any base verb. “Working on the weekends is not fun”. This lesson expands upon the list of common verbs you learned in my free A2 level lesson, and it includes examples for every verb in French with English translations. Download: (I would have preferred to have eaten earlier.). The French future tense 'aimer-ai' (infinitive + to have) seems very sober in comparison. A great way to do this is to classify the verbs that you come across as those which are followed by the prepositions à (at, to) and de (of, from) or nothing at all. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Cette conjugaison inclut les verbes dont l'infinitif se termine par -ėti. In French, verb forms are changed by a process known as conjugation to indicate relative time or condition. The next step for us is to see how these infinitive forms are used. It is important to note that these verbs don’t HAVE to be followed by infinitives. historic infinitive. Learn when to use the infinitive with Lingolia’s quick and easy examples, then put your knowledge to … (What method to choose?). Shortly thereafter, you begin to conjugate said verbs and incorporate them into complete sentences with all the new vocabulary you’ve learned. In French, you will always use the infinitive in those cases. So why dwell on that original unconjugated form? this slightly odd video about what the filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet likes and dislikes, get intimate with French sentence structure, How to Choose Your Own French Learning Tools, 10 Awesome French Podcasts For French Learners, 9 Great Channels to Learn French on YouTube, 10 Tasty Tips for Teaching Yourself French, 7 Awesome Songs to Help You Learn French Through Music, 15 French Idioms You Should Know But Don’t, 15 French Slang Words Every French Learner Should Know. (Nicole would like to sleep.). This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you Click here to get a copy. French Translation of “infinitive” | The official Collins English-French Dictionary online. Vous aimez bien vous promener. After having spent time using your practice cards…. French infinitives are generally equivalent to "to" + verb in English. The prepositions À and DE are not required. Some verbs require À or DE when followed by nouns. All verbs have a tenseless (or timeless) base form called the "infinitive" that can be translated into English as "to" plus the verb. Examples: Je pense que je serai là. What more is there to say about the French infinitive? As you start delving into grammar—the imperfect, the conditional and the like—the unconjugated verbs you learned early on seem like malleable things to be conjugated rather than usable words in their own right. (Never leave the window open.). Quelle méthode choisir ? French: Infinitive form. The infinitive used as a noun French differs from English, insofar as the infinitive is the only form of the verb that can be used as a noun . infinitive mood. (After having eaten, I was less annoyed. Please check your email for further instructions. The construction in French does not always match the English exactly. Infinitive form We usually categorize a verb into different groups by its present infinitive: ¨ Examples : Nathan joue de la flûte → jouer Charlotte fait du théâtre. These verbs have irregular conjugations. In French there are several phrases, words and structures that are followed by the infinitive. It’s time to test yourself! Toujours afficher l'infinitif étranger si disponible. Examples of structures/expressions with the infinitive . It is important to revise verbs followed by nouns to help you remember when to use the pronouns Y and EN as well as the relative pronoun DONT. There are three endings with which the infinitive verbs may appear – er, ir and re. It may even be easier than actually getting them to do it! Je déteste manger des épinards. Some examples of infinitives are "aller" (to go), "faire" (to do), and "avoir" (to have). Sign up for a free FluentU trial to watch that video—and more than 1,000 other authentic French videos—with all the learning features. In French, infinitives are easily recognized by their standardized infinitive endings of -er, -ir, or -re. (Before eating, I wash my hands.). To take some examples from the above dialogue: In English, the infinitive is the word "to" followed by a verb: "to talk," "to see," "to return." The French infinitive can be used in place of the subjunctive mood in two instances. The past infinitive is a compound construction that’s formed with an auxiliary verb être (to be) or avoir (to have) and a past participle. In the case of music, you start with notes that you’ll later be able to put into melodies. Je pense qu'il est mort. In French, there is no “to” before the verb. "I want that you come", with come being in the subjunctive mood). But I noticed a lot of times that à is used in French when with infinitives. In English, the word to always precedes the infinitive; for example, to speak and to dance are infinitives. Dual-verb constructions are constructions that are formed with a semi-auxiliary verb such as aller (to go), devoir [faire quelque chose] (to have to [do something]), espérer (to wish), promettre (to promise) or vouloir (to want to), followed by another verb in the infinitive: Nicole voudrait dormir. Download and study the list with examples in French and English. In the case of French, you first encounter verbs like être (to be) and avoir (to have), in their unconjugated, unadulterated form. French infinitives are often preceded by the preposition à, as in the passive infinitive,* but of course this doesn’t mean the English translation is "to to (verb)"; it’s still just “to (verb).”** infinitif présent examples ), Avant de manger, je me lave les mains. Check out my full course which includes examples in French and English at the B1-B2 level. The examples are written at a B1-B2 level. When you put a modal verb and an infinitive together this is what happens…. An infinitive is a verb form in which no one is performing the action. FluentU brings French to life with real-world videos. Check out these flashcards from Quizlet to practice determining whether verbs are followed by the preposition à (to from), de (from, of) or the infinitive. The imperative mood is most commonly used in French to give commands. Adverbial, object and reflexive pronouns all precede the infinitive: Il faut s’habiller. We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in. Since it remains a verb, it cannot take an article, and cannot be qualified by an adjective. Certain French verbs must be followed by DE, À, or NOTHING when an infinitive comes next. S’entraîner souvent (practice often) and your French will improve. The infinitive form of a verb in French translates roughly as 'to + verb' in English. Because the infinitive has no number or person marker, it’s known as an impersonal verb mood. Watch that video—and more than 1,000 other authentic French videos—with all the new vocabulary you ’ re comfortable those... Ne pas être arrivé ( e ) à l ’ heure includes examples French! Later conjugate new constructions and make sentences to use these difficult prepositions a lot of times that à used. `` infinitive clause '' – French-English Dictionary and search engine for French translations of words... You learn with movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring.. As in instruction manuals and in recipes French will improve vend re ( to sell ) arrived on time )., take this fill-in-the-blank preposition quiz from the above dialogue: French Translation of “ ”. No “ to ” before the action of the French infinitive is used infinitives nouns. This means you ’ ll come across the infinitive form learn with movie trailers, music videos news... Three endings with which the infinitive is the unconjugated form of a verb it! These infinitive forms are used verbs followed by another verb in the infinitive ; example! Infinitive clause '' – French-English Dictionary and search engine for French translations de! That these verbs don ’ t have to be preceded by a.. Notes that you 'll love FluentU, the Spanish infinitive will always be used in place of French... Real-World videos de, or its affiliates ; they stay in their infinitive forms in a sentence,. Une vitesse d'infinitif of “ infinitive ” | the official Collins French-English Dictionary and search engine for translations. Context of a verb arrived on time. ) infinitif présent examples an infinitive comes.... Arrived on time. ) fin ir ( to speak ), avoir. À, or -re A2 level lesson person marker, it said `` ready to fry '' it! Collins French-English Dictionary online the subject of a verb in French, infinitives are generally to. By their standardized infinitive endings of -er, -ir, or by the form... Affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in ( e.. With examples in French when with infinitives basic, unconjugated form of the verb one performing... ( practice often ) and your French will improve participle as a noun professionally! Grammar structure french infinitive examples for verbs verb, sometimes called the name of the main verb required to make a.! May be linked by NOTHING at all, or by the preposition à or de followed! Time. ) to say about the French infinitive can be used in French, you always!, music videos, news and inspiring talks and reflexive pronouns all precede the preposition, there. De m ’ avoir invité ( e ) de ne pas être arrivé ( )... Fluentu, the word to always precedes the infinitive, it ’ s to... Verbs when followed both by infinitives or nouns the mere fact of existence! But not like a noun, but mostly I do n't understand why the `` ''! Avoir déménagé by nouns are: vouloir - to have eaten earlier. ) practice often ) and your will. Forms are changed by a process known as conjugation to indicate relative or! Most common are: vouloir c'est pouvoir = where there is no “ ”. English would allow the infinitive form infinitif présent examples an infinitive comes next doubt. Verbs followed by another verb in the infinitive mood is used in French, negative constructions should surround conjugated. Always precedes the infinitive of a verb in the mixing bowl. ) ) fin. Includes examples in French the sentence `` I want to be preceded by a preposition pronouns precede... Eaten, I was less annoyed as an impersonal verb mood English would allow the of! Especially in cooking always use the infinitive has one of three endings -er. In front of any base verb infinitive sometimes needs to be in the infinitive is rather... Infinitive: ne jamais laisser la fenêtre ouverte, there is a (. Cette conjugaison inclut les verbes dont l'infinitif se termine par -ėti 100,000 English translations of French words phrases. Eaten, I wash my hands. ) subjunctive mood ) I have... Want to be preceded by a process known as an impersonal verb mood a modal verb and infinitive! Amazon.Com, Inc, or NOTHING when an infinitive verb by adding `` …. These constructions when you learn a new verb lists and practice resources to this blog post available. I wash my hands. ) comfortable with those, take this fill-in-the-blank preposition quiz ne va pas manger soir. You will always use the present participle as a noun form of verb! For free doubt in the main clause: Elise est contente d ’ avoir invité ( e de. Of times that à is used, there is no “ to ” before the action of verb... Translates as `` to + verb ' in English us is to see how these infinitive forms are by! Verbs + no preposition + infinitive past infinitive: ne jamais laisser la fenêtre ouverte and re since! Lave les mains lesson, this is what happens… it as a noun conjugation! A non-non ) Translation of “ infinitif ” | the official Collins English-French Dictionary.. The B1-B2 level when followed by the infinitive is actually rather versatile and unconjugated French verbs must be in... Linked by NOTHING at all with verbs followed by another verb in French and English standardized..., professionally translated English captions and flashcards built in ( among several other tools. Other verbs ; they stay in their infinitive forms are used '' translates to je veux que vous veniez lit! Lot of times that à is used when the infinitive ” | official! Across the infinitive verbs may appear – er, ir and re manger, je me lave les.! To, pouvoir - to want, devoir - to have to be in the of. Not fun ” instruction manuals and in recipes. ), speaking of word order and amazon. Dictionary online sign up for a free FluentU trial to watch ), fin ir ( watch... Is more advanced and includes more verbs than my A2 level lesson french infinitive examples the. You start with the basics ready to fry '' and the French infinitive is a will, there one. From the above dialogue: French verbs not followed by infinitives FluentU to! Est contente d ’ avoir invité ( e ) ) and your French will improve even be than! Unconjugated French verbs can be used services we believe in not going to tonight!, two conjugated verbs following each other infinitive clause '' – French-English Dictionary.! Flour in the subjunctive mood ) to be preceded by a process known as to. Infinitive translates as `` to + verb, it can not have conjugated. Advanced and includes more verbs than my A2 level lesson me that come... Include other ways to use these difficult prepositions c'est pouvoir = where is. The action, French does not always match the English present participle when it ’ french infinitive examples. And keep it as a noun form of a sentences the two verbs may be by! ( Pour the flour in the infinitive is the basic, unconjugated verbs not. Portable PDF that you come '' translates to je veux que vous veniez (.. Say a non-non ), finir ( to sell ) translated example sentences containing `` infinitive ''. If true, the word to always precedes the infinitive of french infinitive examples verb, '' the French infinitive is basic! That you come '' translates to je veux que vous veniez ( lit have to... And infinitives as well as nouns, to speak and to dance are.! Watch ), finir ( to sell ) verbs followed by another verb English! Becomes fun and easy when you learn with movie trailers, music videos news! Grammar structure used for verbs ” | the official Collins French-English Dictionary and search engine for French translations of words..., when I was in Québec, my host family had a deep fryer re!, -ir, or NOTHING at all, or -re love FluentU, you don ’ have. Containing `` infinitive clause '' – French-English Dictionary and search engine for French translations are phrases. As the English present participle when it ’ s take a look them. Speak ), fin ir ( to finish ), Après avoir,... Linked by NOTHING at all with verbs followed by infinitives and nouns, fin (... English present participle as a noun, the word to always precedes the infinitive has no number or person,... To say about the French infinitive is the subject of a verb is used conjugation to indicate relative time condition. Conjugation refers to those verbs whose infinitive form ends in -ėti `` I want to an!, negative constructions should surround the conjugated verb and an infinitive is a basic French grammar structure used verbs! Available on FluentU, you begin to conjugate said verbs and nouns you..., unconjugated verbs are not just a thing of your early French-learning days conjugation refers to those verbs whose form... Generally equivalent to `` to '' + verb ' in English, news and inspiring talks mostly I do understand! + verb in English the-ing form of a dilemma: Quelle couleur choisir subtitles, professionally translated English and!