B2 · Intermédiaire supérieur Chapitre 3

Clarifying Subjects with the Personal Infinitive

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50 exemples
6 min
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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.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

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.

Guide du chapitre

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.

Exemples clés (8)

1

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

Merci de m'avoir aidé pour le déménagement !

L'Infinitif Personnel : Des verbes personnalisés
2

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

C'est impossible qu'ils arrivent à l'heure avec ce trafic.

L'Infinitif Personnel : Des verbes personnalisés
3

Comprei os bilhetes para nós irmos ao concerto.

J'ai acheté les billets pour que nous allions au concert.

L'infinitif personnel : des verbes avec de la personnalité (Infinitivo Pessoal)
4

É melhor vocês saírem agora para não pegarem trânsito.

C'est mieux que vous partiez maintenant pour ne pas avoir de bouchons.

L'infinitif personnel : des verbes avec de la personnalité (Infinitivo Pessoal)
5

É importante nós estarmos lá às 8h.

C'est important que nous soyons là à 8h.

L'Infinitif Personnel : L'astuce pour éviter le Subjonctif
6

É difícil eles entenderem o sotaque.

C'est difficile pour eux de comprendre l'accent.

L'Infinitif Personnel : L'astuce pour éviter le Subjonctif
7

Temos de terminar o trabalho antes de eles chegarem.

Nous devons finir le travail avant qu'ils n'arrivent.

Timing et Sujets : L'infinitif personnel (antes/depois de)
8

Depois de vós sairdes, eu vou limpar a casa.

Après que vous soyez partis, je vais nettoyer la maison.

Timing et Sujets : L'infinitif personnel (antes/depois de)

Conseils et astuces (4)

🎯

Le raccourci avec 'Ao'

Utiliser Ao + infinitif personnel est super courant pour dire 'Quand [quelqu'un] a fait [quelque chose]'. Par exemple :
Ao sairmos do cinema, começou a chover.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'Infinitif Personnel : Des verbes personnalisés
🎯

Raccourci pour le subjonctif

Au quotidien, les Brésiliens préfèrent souvent l'infinitif personnel après 'para' plutôt que le subjonctif. Para eles fazerem sonne bien plus naturel que
Para que eles façam
quand tu discutes dans un café !
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'infinitif personnel : des verbes avec de la personnalité (Infinitivo Pessoal)
💡

Eu et Ele sont des ninjas

Rappelle-toi que 'Eu' et 'Ele/Ela/Você' portent un costume de camouflage. Leur forme à l'infinitif personnel est identique à l'infinitif du dictionnaire. Seul le contexte permet de les débusquer ! Par exemple : É bom eu comer.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'Infinitif Personnel : L'astuce pour éviter le Subjonctif
🎯

Le raccourci du subjonctif

Si tu galères avec les structures complexes en 'que + subjonctif', utilise 'préposition + infinitif personnel'. C'est souvent interchangeable et bien plus fluide ! Par exemple :
Para podermos sair, temos de limpar.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Infinitif Personnel : Conjuguer les verbes après les prépositions

Vocabulaire clé (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.

Erreurs courantes

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

Wrong: Para eu comemos.
Correct: 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.
Correct: 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.
Correct: É importante nós fazermos.

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

Pratique rapide (10)

Quelle phrase est correcte ?

Choisis la bonne façon de dire 'sans qu'ils sachent' :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sem eles saberem.
Après 'sem', si le sujet est 'eles', le verbe 'saber' doit prendre la terminaison '-rem'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Infinitif Personnel : Conjuguer les verbes après les prépositions

Complète la phrase avec la forme correcte de 'fazer'.

Comprei os ingredientes para vocês ____ o jantar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fazerem
Le sujet est 'vocês' (pluriel), donc on ajoute la terminaison '-em' à l'infinitif.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'infinitif personnel : des verbes avec de la personnalité (Infinitivo Pessoal)

Complète la phrase avec la bonne forme de l'infinitif personnel.

É importante ___ (nós/estudar) para o exame.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nós estudarmos
Comme le sujet est 'nós' (nous), on doit ajouter la terminaison '-mos' à l'infinitif 'estudar'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'Infinitif Personnel : L'astuce pour éviter le Subjonctif

Trouve et corrige l'erreur

Find and fix the mistake:

Antes de tu comer, lava as mãos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Antes de tu comeres, lava as mãos.
La forme 'tu' nécessite la terminaison -es à l'infinitif.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Timing et Sujets : L'infinitif personnel (antes/depois de)

Choisis la phrase grammaticalement correcte.

Laquelle de ces phrases utilise correctement l'infinitif personnel ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: É bom tu comeres vegetais.
Le sujet 'tu' demande la terminaison '-es'. On n'utilise pas 'que' avec l'infinitif.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'Infinitif Personnel : L'astuce pour éviter le Subjonctif

Remplis le vide avec la bonne forme de l'infinitif personnel.

Isso é para nós ___ (comer).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: comermos
Comme le sujet est 'nós' (nous), on ajoute la terminaison '-mos' à l'infinitif 'comer'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'Infinitif Personnel : Des verbes personnalisés

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

É preciso nós trabalhar mais.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: É preciso nós trabalharmos mais.
Quand le sujet est 'nós', on doit utiliser la terminaison '-mos' : 'trabalharmos'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'infinitif personnel : des verbes avec de la personnalité (Infinitivo Pessoal)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans l'utilisation de l'infinitif personnel.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nós saímos sem eles saber.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós saímos sem eles saberem.
Le sujet du second verbe est 'eles' (ils), donc on a besoin de la terminaison '-em' : 'saberem'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'Infinitif Personnel : Des verbes personnalisés

Laquelle de ces phrases est correcte ?

Choisis la phrase grammaticalement correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saímos sem eles nos verem.
Après 'sem', si le sujet est pluriel ('eles'), l'infinitif doit être conjugué ('verem'). Note : 'virem' est le subjonctif futur de 'ver'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: L'infinitif personnel : des verbes avec de la personnalité (Infinitivo Pessoal)

Quelle phrase est correcte ?

Choisis la phrase correcte pour dire 'Avant qu'ils ne partent' :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Antes de eles saírem
L'infinitif personnel pour 'eles' prend la terminaison -em.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Timing et Sujets : L'infinitif personnel (antes/depois de)

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

Non, les déclencheurs sont différents ! Tu ne peux pas dire *para fores*. Il faut dire
para seres mais feliz hoje
.
Ils utilisent la forme de base. Pour clarifier, on garde simplement le pronom :
para eu fazer o jantar
ou
para ele fazer o jantar
.
C'est une forme de l'infinitif qui change de terminaison pour montrer qui fait l'action. C'est une spécialité du portugais, utilisée quand le sujet est différent du verbe principal :
Fiz isto para eles comerem.
Pas forcément. Si le sujet est 'eu' ou 'ele/ela', il ressemble à l'infinitif normal. Tu ajoutes des terminaisons seulement pour 'tu' (-es), 'nós' (-mos), et 'eles/vocês' (-em) :
Para nós sabermos a verdade.
C'est une phrase qui commence par 'C'est...' (É...) où le 'C'' ne désigne rien de précis. Par exemple : É bom eu ir (C'est bien que j'y aille). Cela pose une condition générale.
Pour la simplicité ! Tu n'as pas besoin de retenir des radicaux irréguliers complexes. Tu prends l'infinitif et tu ajoutes une fin simple comme dans
É importante nós falarmos
.
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The Versatile Past Participle
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Explaining Why: Cause and Purpose
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