B2 · Obere Mittelstufe Kapitel 3

Clarifying Subjects with the Personal Infinitive

5 Gesamtregeln
50 Beispiele
6 Min.
Regeln in diesem Kapitel Schnelle Übung

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the Personal Infinitive to speak with native-level precision and clarity in Portuguese.

  • Conjugate verbs to identify exactly who is performing an action.
  • Replace complex subjunctive structures with elegant infinitive forms.
  • Apply the infinitive correctly after common prepositions and time markers.
Clarify your subjects and elevate your fluency.

Was du lernen wirst

Hey there, language explorer! Ready to unlock a new level of precision and fluency in your Portuguese? In this chapter, we're diving deep into the Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal) – a powerful tool that will make your speech sound incredibly natural and sophisticated. It might sound complex, but by the end, you'll wonder how you ever spoke without it! What will you learn? You'll master how to specify *exactly who* is performing an action after prepositions or impersonal expressions. Think about situations where you want to say,

For *us* to understand...
or Without *you* knowing... – the Personal Infinitive provides a direct, elegant way to do this without resorting to the often-tricky subjunctive mood. You'll learn to conjugate verbs like falar (to speak) or comer (to eat) in their personal infinitive forms to perfectly match the subject. Why does it matter? This isn't just another grammar rule; it's a key to sounding genuinely native. It allows you to express nuances and avoid ambiguity, making your Portuguese flow effortlessly. Imagine discussing plans with a friend:
Before *we* go to the cinema, we should eat dinner.
Or giving advice: "It's important for *you* to know this." The Personal Infinitive brings clarity and authenticity to these everyday interactions. How do the rules connect? We'll start by understanding the basic concept and conjugation patterns. Then, we'll explore its crucial role after various prepositions and impersonal phrases, including time expressions like antes de (before) and depois de (after). You'll see how these rules build upon each other, offering a streamlined path to subject clarification while cleverly sidestepping the subjunctive. What will you be able to do? Upon completing this chapter, you'll confidently express complex ideas with greater precision and sound far more like a native speaker. You'll navigate conversations about responsibilities, timelines, and conditions with a newfound ease, ensuring your message is always crystal clear. Ready to make your Portuguese shine? Let's go!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Conjugate and apply the personal infinitive to clarify subjects in complex sentences.

Kapitel-Leitfaden

Overview

Welcome, language explorer, to a crucial step in mastering Portuguese grammar B2! This chapter introduces you to the Personal Infinitive, known in Portuguese as Infinitivo Pessoal. If you've ever found yourself struggling to precisely state *who* is doing an action in a complex sentence, especially after prepositions or impersonal phrases, this is your solution.
The Personal Infinitive is a powerful and elegant grammatical construction that will significantly elevate your fluency and clarity, making your speech sound much more natural and sophisticated.
At the B2 level, moving beyond basic sentence structures is essential for expressing nuanced ideas. The Personal Infinitive allows you to do just that by providing a direct way to clarify the subject of a verb when it's dependent on another clause. Instead of relying on potentially awkward workarounds or the often-tricky subjunctive mood, you'll learn to use this unique Portuguese feature to say things like
for *us* to go
or without *them* knowing with ease.
This isn't just about learning a new rule; it's about unlocking a key aspect of authentic Portuguese expression.
Mastering the Infinitivo Pessoal is a hallmark of advanced Portuguese grammar. It's a skill that native speakers use constantly, and integrating it into your own language will make your communication smoother, more precise, and far more understandable. By the end of this chapter, you’ll confidently apply this structure in various contexts, ensuring your message is always crystal clear and authentically Portuguese.

How This Grammar Works

The Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal) is a fascinating and uniquely Portuguese grammatical feature that allows us to specify the subject of an infinitive verb. Unlike the impersonal infinitive (e.g., falar – to speak), the Personal Infinitive changes its ending to match the person performing the action, much like a conjugated verb. This directly addresses
The Personal Infinitive: Verbs with People Attached
and
The Personal Infinitive: Verbs with Personality (Infinitivo Pessoal)
.
Let's look at the conjugation pattern for regular verbs using falar (to speak), comer (to eat), and partir (to leave):
* eu falar (for me to speak)
* tu falares (for you to speak)
* ele/ela/você falar (for him/her/you to speak)
* nós falarmos (for us to speak)
* vós falardes (for you (plural, informal) to speak)
* eles/elas/vocês falarem (for them/you (plural) to speak)
Notice how the endings change: -es, -mos, -des, -em. The first and third person singular forms are identical to the impersonal infinitive. Irregular verbs (like ser, ter, vir, pôr) will have irregular stems, but they generally follow the same personal endings.
For example, ser becomes eu ser, tu seres, nós sermos, etc.
The Personal Infinitive is most commonly used after prepositions and impersonal expressions, as highlighted in
Personal Infinitive: Conjugating Verbs After Prepositions (Infinitivo Pessoal)
. This is where it shines as a tool for Avoiding the Subjunctive when a clear subject is present.
Common triggers include:
* Prepositions: para (for/in order to), antes de (before), depois de (after), sem (without), por (by/for), ao (upon/when).
* Para eles entenderem, preciso explicar melhor. (For them to understand, I need to explain better.)
* Antes de sairmos, vamos comer. (Before we leave, let's eat.)
* Sem tu saberes, ele já fez isso. (Without you knowing, he already did that.)
* Impersonal Expressions: É importante (It's important), É preciso (It's necessary), É bom (It's good), É difícil (It's difficult).
* É importante vocês estudarem para o exame. (It's important for you (plural) to study for the exam.)
* É preciso nós falarmos sobre isso. (It's necessary for us to talk about this.)
This usage is particularly common with time expressions like antes de and depois de, as covered in "Timing & Subjects: Using Personal Infinitive (antes/depois de)". It provides a concise way to link actions to specific individuals within a temporal framework, making your B2 Portuguese sound incredibly natural and precise.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    É importante para nós *estudar*.
✓ Correct:
É importante para nós *estudarmos*.
*Explanation:* When an impersonal expression like é importante is followed by a preposition (para) and then a specific subject (nós), the infinitive verb must be conjugated in the personal infinitive to match that subject. Here, estudar is the impersonal infinitive, but estudarmos correctly reflects the nós subject.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Antes que *nós vamos* embora, quero falar contigo.
✓ Correct:
Antes de *nós irmos* embora, quero falar contigo.
*Explanation:* While the subjunctive (que nós vamos) might seem like an option here, the Personal Infinitive is much more common and natural after prepositions like antes de when referring to a specific subject. It elegantly avoids the subjunctive mood, making the sentence smoother and more idiomatic in Portuguese grammar.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Ele saiu sem *tu perceber*.
✓ Correct:
Ele saiu sem *tu perceberes*.
*Explanation:* Even with irregular verbs or when the impersonal infinitive form is the same for the first and third person singular, other persons (like tu or nós) still require their specific personal infinitive endings. Perceber is the impersonal infinitive, but perceberes correctly matches the tu subject.

Real Conversations

A

A

É importante para nós chegarmos cedo amanhã. (It's important for us to arrive early tomorrow.)
B

B

Sim, para não perdermos o início da reunião. (Yes, so we don't miss the start of the meeting.)
A

A

O que podemos fazer antes de eles partirem? (What can we do before they leave?)
B

B

Podemos jantar juntos para nos despedirmos. (We can have dinner together to say goodbye.)
A

A

Sem tu saberes, eu já comprei os bilhetes. (Without you knowing, I already bought the tickets.)
B

B

Que bom! Assim não precisamos nos preocupar com isso. (That's great! That way we don't need to worry about it.)

Quick FAQ

Q

How does the Personal Infinitive help in B2 Portuguese fluency?

It allows you to specify the subject of an infinitive verb, especially after prepositions or impersonal expressions, making your sentences more precise and sounding much more natural, often avoiding the subjunctive.

Q

Can I always use the Personal Infinitive instead of the subjunctive after prepositions?

Not always, but very often. When the subject of the infinitive is clearly stated or implied, the Personal Infinitive is usually the preferred and most natural choice, especially after prepositions like para, antes de, depois de, sem, etc., effectively Avoiding the Subjunctive.

Q

What's the main difference between the impersonal infinitive and the Personal Infinitive in Portuguese grammar?

The impersonal infinitive (e.g., falar) refers to the action generally, without a specific subject. The Personal Infinitive (e.g., falarmos) specifies *who* is performing that action, with endings that match the subject.

Cultural Context

The Personal Infinitive is a cornerstone of advanced Portuguese grammar and is used extensively in both European and Brazilian Portuguese. Its frequent use is one of the key indicators of a highly proficient speaker. While it might feel a bit formal or clunky to English speakers initially, mastering it makes your Portuguese sound educated, precise, and effortlessly natural in everyday conversations, from making plans to giving advice.
It's not just a rule; it's an ingrained part of how native speakers structure their thoughts.

Wichtige Beispiele (8)

1

Obrigado por me **ajudarem** com a mudança!

Danke, dass ihr mir beim Umzug geholfen habt!

Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Person
2

É impossível eles **chegarem** a tempo com este trânsito.

Es ist unmöglich, dass sie bei diesem Verkehr pünktlich ankommen.

Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Person
3

Comprei os bilhetes para nós irmos ao concerto.

Ich habe die Tickets gekauft, damit wir zum Konzert gehen können.

Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Persönlichkeit (Infinitivo Pessoal)
4

É melhor vocês saírem agora para não pegarem trânsito.

Es ist besser, wenn ihr jetzt geht, um nicht in den Stau zu kommen.

Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Persönlichkeit (Infinitivo Pessoal)
5

É importante nós estarmos lá às 8h.

Es ist wichtig, dass wir um 8 Uhr da sind.

Der Persönliche Infinitiv: Dein Trick gegen den Subjuntivo
6

É difícil eles entenderem o sotaque.

Es ist schwer für sie, den Akzent zu verstehen.

Der Persönliche Infinitiv: Dein Trick gegen den Subjuntivo
7

Para vocês entenderem a piada, precisam ver o vídeo.

Damit ihr den Witz versteht, müsst ihr das Video sehen.

Persönlicher Infinitiv: Verben nach Präpositionen konjugieren
8

Saímos sem eles perceberem.

Wir sind gegangen, ohne dass sie es gemerkt haben.

Persönlicher Infinitiv: Verben nach Präpositionen konjugieren

Tipps & Tricks (4)

🎯

Der 'Ao'-Shortcut

Die Kombi aus Ao + persönlichem Infinitiv ist der absolute Gamechanger, um 'Als [Person] etwas tat' auszudrücken. Denk an:
Ao chegarmos ao restaurante, vimos os nossos amigos.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Person
🎯

Abkürzung zum Subjunktiv

Im brasilianischen Alltag nutzt man nach 'para' fast immer den Infinitivo Pessoal statt des komplizierten Subjunktivs. Para eles fazerem klingt im Café viel natürlicher als
Para que eles façam
!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Persönlichkeit (Infinitivo Pessoal)
💡

Eu und Ele sind wie Ninjas

Vergiss nicht, dass 'Eu' und 'Ele/Ela/Você' Tarnfarben tragen. Ihre Form im persönlichen Infinitiv sieht exakt so aus wie der normale Wörterbuch-Infinitiv: É bom eu falar.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Der Persönliche Infinitiv: Dein Trick gegen den Subjuntivo
🎯

Der Konjunktiv-Shortcut

Wenn du dich mit komplexen 'que + Konjunktiv'-Sätzen schwertust, probier mal 'Präposition + Infinitivo Pessoal'. Das ist oft austauschbar und viel einfacher zu merken! Stell dir vor, du sagst:
Para nós fazermos isso, precisamos de tempo.
statt
Para que nós façamos isso, precisamos de tempo.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Persönlicher Infinitiv: Verben nach Präpositionen konjugieren

Wichtige Vokabeln (6)

Infinitivo Pessoal Personal Infinitive Conjugação Conjugation Antes de Before Depois de After Ambiguidade Ambiguity Sujeito Subject

Real-World Preview

calendar

Planning a Meeting

Review Summary

  • Infinitivo + Personal Ending
  • Antes/Depois de + Personal Inf.

Häufige Fehler

You mixed up the singular pronoun with a plural verb ending. Match the ending to the subject.

Wrong: Para eu comemos.
Richtig: Para eu comer.

Without the subject pronoun, it's ambiguous who is arriving. Always include the pronoun if the subject changes or is not obvious.

Wrong: Antes de chegar, eu vi ele.
Richtig: Antes de eu chegar, eu vi ele.

You don't need 'que' with the personal infinitive. 'Que' usually triggers the subjunctive.

Wrong: É importante que nós fazermos.
Richtig: É importante nós fazermos.

Regeln in diesem Kapitel (5)

1

Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Person

B2
Nutze den persönlichen Infinitiv, um im Satz glasklar zu machen, wer eine Handlung ausführt, ohne den Satzbau kompliziert zu machen. Deine Werkzeuge sind: -es, -mos und -em.
Obrigado por me **ajudarem** com a mudança!
10 Beispiele
2

Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Persönlichkeit (Infinitivo Pessoal)

B2
Nutze den Infinitivo Pessoal nach Präpositionen oder unpersönlichen Ausdrücken, um klarzustellen, wer die Aktion ausführt. Deine Werkzeuge: para, sem, antes de.
Comprei os bilhetes para nós irmos ao concerto.
10 Beispiele
3

Der Persönliche Infinitiv: Dein Trick gegen den Subjuntivo

B2
Nutze den persönlichen Infinitiv, um nach unpersönlichen Phrasen genau zu sagen, WER etwas tut, ohne den komplizierten Subjunktiv zu triggern. Deine neuen Tools: sem que, específico, flexão.
É importante nós estarmos lá às 8h.
10 Beispiele
4

Persönlicher Infinitiv: Verben nach Präpositionen konjugieren

B2
Der Infinitivo Pessoal macht klar, wer nach Präpositionen handelt. Das lässt dein Portugiesisch super natürlich, effizient und elegant klingen. Denk dran: Klarheit, Effizienz, Eleganz.
Para vocês entenderem a piada, precisam ver o víde...
10 Beispiele
5

Timing & Subjekte: Persönlicher Infinitiv (antes/depois de)

B2
Mit dem Infinitivo Pessoal nach antes de und depois de bringst du Klarheit rein, wer was macht, ohne komplizierten Subjunktiv.
Temos de terminar o trabalho antes de eles chegare...
10 Beispiele

Next Steps

You have done an amazing job today! Keep practicing, and you'll be speaking Portuguese with absolute confidence in no time.

Write a diary entry using 5 sentences with the personal infinitive.

Continue to: Explaining Why: Cause and Purpose

Schnelle Übung (10)

Fülle die Lücke mit der richtigen Form des persönlichen Infinitivs aus.

Isso é para nós ___ (comer).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: comermos
Da das Subjekt 'nós' (wir) ist, hängen wir die Endung '-mos' an den Infinitiv 'comer' an.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Person

Welcher Satz ist korrekt?

Wähle den grammatikalisch richtigen Satz:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saímos sem eles nos verem.
Nach 'sem' muss der Infinitiv konjugiert werden, wenn das Subjekt Plural ist ('eles'). 'Virem' ist hier falsch, da es der Futuro do Subjuntivo wäre.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Persönlichkeit (Infinitivo Pessoal)

Fülle die Lücke mit der richtigen Form von 'fazer' aus.

Comprei os ingredientes para vocês ____ o jantar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fazerem
Das Subjekt ist 'vocês' (Plural), also hängen wir die Endung '-em' an den Infinitiv an.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Persönlichkeit (Infinitivo Pessoal)

Welcher Satz ist korrekt?

Wähle den richtigen Satz für 'Bevor sie gehen':

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Antes de eles saírem
Der persönliche Infinitiv für 'eles' bekommt die Endung -em.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Timing & Subjekte: Persönlicher Infinitiv (antes/depois de)

Welcher Satz ist grammatikalisch korrekt?

Wähle den richtigen Satz für: 'Ich habe das gekauft, damit du (tu) es liest.'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Comprei isto para tu leres.
Bei 'tu' müssen wir die Endung '-es' an den Infinitiv hängen, also 'leres'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Person

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

É importante vocês estudarem para passares no exame.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: É importante vocês estudarem para passarem no exame.
Beide Verben sollten mit 'vocês' übereinstimmen. 'Passares' ist für 'tu', daher muss es 'passarem' sein.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Persönlicher Infinitiv: Verben nach Präpositionen konjugieren

Fülle die Lücke mit der korrekten Form des Verbs in Klammern.

Comprei ingressos para nós ___ (ver) o show.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vermos
Da das Subjekt 'nós' ist, fügen wir die Endung '-mos' an den Infinitiv 'ver' an.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Persönlicher Infinitiv: Verben nach Präpositionen konjugieren

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler.

Antes de tu comer, lava as mãos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Antes de tu comeres, lava as mãos.
Die 'tu'-Form benötigt zwingend die Endung -es am Infinitiv.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Timing & Subjekte: Persönlicher Infinitiv (antes/depois de)

Fülle die Lücke mit der richtigen Form von 'beber'.

Vamos sair depois de nós ___ o café.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bebermos
Bei 'nós' hängen wir die Endung -mos an den Infinitiv 'beber' an.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Timing & Subjekte: Persönlicher Infinitiv (antes/depois de)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im persönlichen Infinitiv.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nós saímos sem eles saber.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós saímos sem eles saberem.
Das Subjekt des zweiten Verbs ist 'eles' (sie), daher brauchen wir die Endung '-em': 'saberem'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Der persönliche Infinitiv: Verben mit Person

Score: /10

Häufige Fragen (6)

Nein, die haben ganz andere Trigger! Du kannst nicht sagen *para fores* (Future Subj). Du musst sagen:
Para seres feliz, precisas de viajar.
Sie nutzen die Grundform. Um Klarheit zu schaffen, setzt du einfach das Pronomen davor: Para eu fazer vs. Para ele fazer.
Es ist eine Form des Infinitivs, die ihre Endung ändert, um zu zeigen, wer die Handlung ausführt. Das ist eine Besonderheit im Portugiesischen, wie zum Beispiel in
para nós fazermos
.
Nein, nicht immer. Bei 'eu' oder 'ele/ela' sieht er aus wie der normale Infinitiv; Endungen gibt es nur für 'tu' (-es), 'nós' (-mos) und 'eles/vocês' (-em), wie in para eles comerem.
Das sind Sätze, die mit 'Es ist...' (É...) anfangen, wo sich das 'Es' nicht auf eine Sache bezieht. Beispiele: É bom (Es ist gut) oder É fácil (Es ist einfach).
Ganz einfach: Es ist unkomplizierter! Du musst dir keine unregelmäßigen Subjunktiv-Stämme merken, sondern nimmst einfach den Infinitiv:
É mais simples nós falarmos.
Vorheriges Kapitel
The Versatile Past Participle
Nächstes Kapitel
Explaining Why: Cause and Purpose
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