Mastering the Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The Personal Infinitive allows you to specify the subject of an infinitive verb by conjugating it, unlike the standard impersonal infinitive.
- Use it when the subject of the infinitive is different from the main clause subject: 'Para eles comerem'.
- Conjugate the infinitive using the future subjunctive endings: -es, -mos, -des, -em.
- Do not conjugate the first and third person singular; they remain identical to the base infinitive form.
Overview
The Personal Infinitive, or Infinitivo Pessoal, is one of the most distinctive and powerful features of the Portuguese language. While its cousins in the Romance family—Spanish, French, and Italian—use a single, invariable infinitive (cantar, vender, partir), Portuguese allows this base form of the verb to be inflected with personal endings. This creates a grammatical hybrid: a verb that is non-finite (lacking tense and mood) but which can still explicitly name the subject performing the action.
Think of it as a tool for surgical precision. It allows you to express complex ideas with remarkable conciseness, often replacing longer, more cumbersome clauses that would require the subjunctive mood. For example, instead of saying, "It is necessary that we speak," (É necessário que nós falemos), you can simply say, "It is necessary for us to speak" (É necessário falarmos).
This structure is not a mere stylistic flourish; it is a fundamental pillar of the language, woven into every register from legal documents and academic prose to informal text messages and daily conversation.
Its origin lies in Vulgar Latin, where certain grammatical cases allowed for similar constructions, but only Portuguese developed it into such a complete and systematic paradigm. Mastering the Infinitivo Pessoal is a hallmark of advanced proficiency, signaling a shift from simply communicating in Portuguese to thinking and structuring your thoughts like a native speaker. It allows for a more fluid, elegant, and efficient expression of ideas, and understanding its logic is crucial for C2-level mastery.
How This Grammar Works
- 1Same Subject: When the subject is the same for both verbs, you use the standard Impersonal Infinitive. The subject is established once by the main verb.
Eu quero sair.(I want to leave.) - I want, and I will leave.Nós decidimos voltar.(We decided to return.) - We decided, and we will return.
- 1Different Subject: When the infinitive has its own distinct subject, you must use the Personal Infinitive to show this change.
Ela comprou o livro para nós lermos.(She bought the book for us to read.) - She bought, but we will read.É importante vocês entenderem a lição.(It's important for you all to understand the lesson.) - The main clause (É importante) is impersonal, so the subject of the infinitive (vocês) must be specified.
- Prepositions: Words like
para,por,sem,até,antes de, anddepois deoften introduce a new subject for the infinitive that follows. - Impersonal Expressions: Phrases like
é bom,é preciso,é uma pena,custa, etc., create a context where the subject of the following action needs to be named. - Causative & Perceptive Verbs: Verbs like
deixar(to let),mandar(to order),ver(to see), andouvir(to hear) can take a direct object that also functions as the subject of the subsequent personal infinitive. For instance,Eu vi eles chegarem(I saw them arrive).
Formation Pattern
eu and ele/ela/você forms are identical to the impersonal infinitive itself.
estudar) |
eu | (no ending) | estudar |
tu | -es | estudares |
você/ele/ela | (no ending) | estudar |
nós | -mos | estudarmos |
vós | -des | estudardes |
vocês/eles/elas | -em | estudarem |
-ar, -er, -ir) and even for irregular verbs. This is a crucial point of distinction from other verb moods. You never modify the verb's infinitive stem.
ser (to be) | pôr (to put) | ter (to have) | vir (to come) |
eu | ser | pôr | ter | vir |
tu | seres | pores | teres | vires |
ele/ela | ser | pôr | ter | vir |
nós | sermos | pormos | termos | virmos|
vós | serdes | pordes | terdes | virdes|
eles/elas | serem | porem | terem | virem |
ser, pôr, ter, vir) remains perfectly intact. You simply append the endings. This makes the Personal Infinitive a predictable and reliable structure to form, allowing you to focus on its correct application.
When To Use It
para(for, to):Fiz tudo para eles ficarem contentes.(I did everything for them to be happy.)sem(without):Ela saiu sem nós notarmos.(She left without us noticing.)até(until):Vou esperar aqui até você voltar.(I'll wait here until you get back.)antes de(before):Verifique o óleo antes de o motor aquecer.(Check the oil before the engine heats up.)apesar de(despite):Conseguimos o resultado, apesar de termos poucos recursos.(We got the result, despite us having few resources.)
é bom, é importante, é difícil, basta, etc.), the action that follows needs a subject. The Personal Infinitive provides it.É fundamental vocês entregarem o relatório a tempo.(It's fundamental for you to deliver the report on time.)É uma pena ele não poder vir à festa.(It's a shame he can't come to the party.)Basta tu quereres para conseguires.(It's enough for you to want it in order to get it.)
para can be omitted before the subject, making the sentence even more compact: É essencial (para) nós agirmos agora.deixar (to let), mandar (to order), fazer (to make/cause), ver (to see), and ouvir (to hear). In these cases, the direct object of the main verb also serves as the subject of the personal infinitive.O professor ouviu os alunos conversarem durante a prova.(The teacher heard the students talking during the test.)Deixa as crianças brincarem lá fora.(Let the children play outside.)Eu vi um homem correr pela rua.(I saw a man run down the street.)
O facto de eles terem mentido mudou tudo.(The fact of them having lied changed everything.)O ideal seria nós jantarmos juntos.(The ideal would be for us to have dinner together.)
falar) | Use Personal Infinitive (falares, falarmos, etc.) |Queremos falar com o diretor. | The subject of the infinitive is different from the main verb: O diretor pediu para falarmos com ele. |Falar é fácil. | The infinitive refers to a specific, named subject: Para tu falares bem, precisas praticar. |vai chover, pode entrar): Eles vão viajar amanhã. | The subject of the infinitive is stated explicitly: A melhor solução é eles viajarem amanhã. |Common Mistakes
Futuro do Subjuntivo)- Personal Infinitive: Always formed from the full infinitive stem.
- Future Subjunctive: Formed from the 3rd person plural preterite stem (
eles/elas fizeram->fizer-).
- Personal Infinitive is used after prepositions and impersonal expressions.
- Future Subjunctive is used after specific conjunctions like
quando(when),se(if),enquanto(while), andassim que(as soon as).
para...) | Future Subjunctive (quando...) | How to Spot the Difference |falar | para eu falar | quando eu falar | Identical for regular verbs. Context is key. |ter | para nós termos | quando nós tivermos | Stem change: ter- vs. tiver- |fazer | para eles fazerem | quando eles fizerem | Stem change: fazer- vs. fizer- |vir | para tu vires | quando tu vieres | Stem change: vir- vs. vier- |ser | para vós serdes | quando vós fordes | Stem change: ser- vs. for- |para, por, sem), it's Personal Infinitive. If it's introduced by a future/conditional conjunction (quando, se), it's Future Subjunctive.- Incorrect:
*Eu preciso estudarmos mais.(I need for us to study more. - A logical contradiction.) - Correct:
Eu preciso estudar mais.(I need to study more.)
-em Ending in Formal Contexts-em ending of the third-person plural dropped. This is a simplification from casual speech and is considered grammatically incorrect in writing and formal situations.- Colloquial:
É melhor eles ficar em casa. - Grammatically Correct:
É melhor eles ficarem em casa.(It's better for them to stay home.)
Real Conversations
Seeing the Personal Infinitive in the wild demonstrates its versatility. It's not just a textbook rule; it’s a living part of the language.
At the Office (Email):
Olá equipa,
Obrigado por terem preenchido o formulário. Agendei uma reunião para discutirmos os próximos passos. É crucial todos estarem presentes para alinharmos as nossas estratégias.
- (Hello team, Thank you for having filled out the form. I scheduled a meeting for us to discuss the next steps. It's crucial for everyone to be present to align our strategies.)
WhatsApp/Text Message (Informal):
E aí! Vc consegue me buscar depois de você sair do trabalho? Ou é melhor a gente se encontrar no centro?
- (Hey! Can you pick me up after you leave work? Or is it better for us to meet downtown?)
- Note: a gente is singular but refers to nós, so the verb remains uninflected. É melhor nós nos encontrarmos would be the alternative.
Social Media Caption (General Audience):
A melhor parte da viagem foi conhecermos pessoas de todo o mundo e descobrirmos que, no fundo, somos todos parecidos.
- (The best part of the trip was us getting to know people from all over the world and us discovering that, deep down, we are all similar.)
Quick FAQ
Yes, absolutely. The formation rule—adding the endings -es, -mos, -des, -em to the full infinitive—is 100% regular and applies to every verb, including ser, ir, pôr, and dar, with no stem changes.
Yes, in terms of frequency. The Personal Infinitive is a core feature of both variants, but it is arguably more ubiquitous and preferred in European Portuguese, especially in speech. In Brazil, while grammatically correct and common in writing, speakers might sometimes prefer a que + subjunctive clause or a gerund construction in contexts where an EP speaker would default to the Personal Infinitive.
It is neither; it is a fundamental grammatical structure. Its usage is dictated by syntax, not by level of formality. It is required in the most formal legal documents and used naturally in the most informal chats. Avoiding it doesn't make your speech more casual, it just makes it less grammatically precise.
vós form?You need to recognize it. As a C2 learner, you will encounter vós and the -des ending (e.g., para vós fazerdes) in historical documents, classic literature (like Camões), religious texts, and certain formal speeches. It is also still in active use in some regions of northern Portugal. For your own active production, vocês with the -em ending is sufficient in over 99% of modern contexts.
antes de, but can I also use it after depois de?Yes. It works perfectly with a variety of compound prepositions. For example: Depois de eles chegarem, podemos começar a festa. (After they arrive, we can start the party.)
Linguistically, it serves to disambiguate the subject of a non-finite verb clause, a problem that other languages solve differently (e.g., English 'for them to see'). It allows Portuguese to maintain a verb-centric structure while ensuring clarity and economy of expression, avoiding the constant use of subordinate que clauses.
Conjugation of 'Falar' (To speak)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
|
Eu
|
falar
|
|
Tu
|
falares
|
|
Ele/Ela/Você
|
falar
|
|
Nós
|
falarmos
|
|
Vós
|
falardes
|
|
Eles/Elas/Vocês
|
falarem
|
Meanings
A unique Portuguese construction where the infinitive verb is inflected to indicate the person and number of its subject.
Subject Specification
Clarifying the actor of an infinitive phrase.
“Eles pediram para nós sairmos.”
“É melhor vocês irem agora.”
Purpose Clauses
Indicating the agent of a purpose.
“Trouxe o livro para ela ler.”
“Comprei ingressos para eles entrarem.”
Temporal Clauses
Indicating the agent during a specific time.
“Ao chegarem, avisem-me.”
“Antes de eles saírem, comam algo.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Infinitive + Ending
|
Nós vamos comer
|
|
Negative
|
Não + Infinitive + Ending
|
Para não comermos
|
|
Question
|
Infinitive + Ending + ?
|
Para eles irem?
|
|
Reflexive
|
Infinitive + Ending + -se
|
Para eles sentarem-se
|
|
Compound
|
Ter + Participle + Ending
|
Por terem feito
|
|
Passive
|
Ser + Participle + Ending
|
Para serem vistos
|
Formality Spectrum
Para irmos. (Daily plans)
Para nós irmos. (Daily plans)
Para a gente ir. (Daily plans)
Pra gente ir. (Daily plans)
Personal Infinitive Usage
Purpose
- para for
Time
- antes de before
Cause
- por because of
Examples by Level
Para nós comermos.
For us to eat.
Para eles irem.
For them to go.
Para vocês verem.
For you all to see.
Para tu falares.
For you to speak.
Antes de eles chegarem, limpei a casa.
Before they arrived, I cleaned the house.
Depois de nós sairmos, choveu.
After we left, it rained.
Sem vocês saberem, eu fiz isso.
Without you knowing, I did this.
Para nós termos sucesso, precisamos estudar.
For us to have success, we need to study.
Eles pediram para nós esperarmos.
They asked for us to wait.
É importante para eles entenderem a regra.
It is important for them to understand the rule.
O professor deu tempo para os alunos escreverem.
The teacher gave time for the students to write.
Não é bom para vocês ficarem aqui.
It is not good for you to stay here.
Agradeço por terem vindo à reunião.
I thank you for having come to the meeting.
Eles foram multados por estarem estacionados incorretamente.
They were fined for being parked incorrectly.
É fundamental para mantermos a ordem.
It is fundamental for us to maintain order.
Eles estão felizes por terem conseguido o emprego.
They are happy for having gotten the job.
Ao serem questionados, eles não souberam responder.
Upon being questioned, they didn't know how to answer.
Por não terem estudado, falharam no exame.
For not having studied, they failed the exam.
Sem que eles percebessem, o plano mudou.
Without them realizing, the plan changed.
É preciso que eles sejam ouvidos para se sentirem valorizados.
It is necessary for them to be heard to feel valued.
Apesar de terem sido avisados, persistiram no erro.
Despite having been warned, they persisted in the error.
Para que eles possam concluir o projeto, é necessário alocarmos mais recursos.
For them to be able to conclude the project, it is necessary for us to allocate more resources.
Ao chegarem à conclusão de que não havia saída, desistiram.
Upon reaching the conclusion that there was no exit, they gave up.
É imperativo para evitarmos maiores danos que eles se retirem.
It is imperative for us to avoid further damage that they withdraw.
Easily Confused
Learners often use the impersonal form when the subject is different.
The forms are identical, leading to confusion about which is which.
Learners confuse the endings.
Common Mistakes
Para nós comer
Para nós comermos
Para eles comer
Para eles comerem
Para tu comer
Para tu falares
Para vocês comer
Para vocês comerem
Antes de nós sair
Antes de nós sairmos
Depois de eles chegar
Depois de eles chegarem
Sem eles saber
Sem eles saberem
Para eu termos
Para eu ter
Eles pediram para nós ir
Eles pediram para nós irmos
É bom para vocês ir
É bom para vocês irem
Ao eles chegarem
Ao chegarem
Por eles terem falado
Por terem falado
Para serem eles vistos
Para serem vistos
Depois de nós termos ido
Depois de termos ido
Sentence Patterns
Para ___ (subject) ___ (verb)___.
Antes de ___ (subject) ___ (verb)___.
Sem ___ (subject) ___ (verb)___.
Por ___ (subject) ___ (verb)___.
Real World Usage
Obrigado por terem enviado o relatório.
Feliz por estarmos juntos!
Estou aqui para aprenderem sobre mim.
Para vocês entrarem, precisam do bilhete.
Para o entregador saber onde é.
Para os resultados serem validados.
Check the subject
Don't over-conjugate
Use with prepositions
Regional variation
Smart Tips
Check if the subject of that verb is different from the main subject.
Use the personal infinitive to thank people for actions.
If you want to be safe, use a full subordinate clause with the subjunctive.
Don't worry too much about the personal infinitive; the impersonal form is often accepted.
Pronunciation
Stress
The stress remains on the infinitive stem, not the ending.
Rising
Para eles irem? ↑
Questioning the action.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember: 'Personal' means 'Person-al'—it needs a person attached to the verb!
Visual Association
Imagine a verb with a little name tag on it. If the name tag says 'Nós', the verb changes to 'Nós-armos'.
Rhyme
If the subject changes, don't be shy, add the ending to the infinitive to clarify.
Story
Maria wanted to bake a cake. She told her friends, 'Para vocês comerem (for you to eat), eu preciso de ajuda'. Her friends agreed, 'Para nós ajudarmos (for us to help), precisamos de farinha'.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about what your friends and family need to do today using the personal infinitive.
Cultural Notes
In informal Brazilian Portuguese, 'a gente' is often used with the impersonal infinitive, even when 'nós' would be grammatically correct.
The personal infinitive is used more strictly in formal writing and speech.
Used extensively in research papers to maintain formal tone.
The personal infinitive evolved from the Latin infinitive, influenced by the future subjunctive.
Conversation Starters
O que precisamos fazer para termos sucesso?
O que você fez antes de eles chegarem?
Por que é importante para vocês aprenderem português?
Como podemos fazer para eles se sentirem bem?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Para eles ___ (falar) com o chefe, precisam marcar hora.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Para vocês ir à festa, precisam de convite.
Change 'Para eu ir' to 'Para nós'.
Para eles ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Para / eles / sair / cedo.
The personal infinitive is used when subjects are the same.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesPara eles ___ (falar) com o chefe, precisam marcar hora.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Para vocês ir à festa, precisam de convite.
Change 'Para eu ir' to 'Para nós'.
Para eles ___.
Nós -> ?
Para / eles / sair / cedo.
The personal infinitive is used when subjects are the same.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
15 exercisesEles saíram sem nos ___ nada.
É necessário vocês estudarmos mais.
para / entrarem / é / preciso / eles / convite / terem
For us to be happy, we need to travel.
Não vás embora sem tu ___ aqui.
Match them up:
Apesar de ___ cansados, eles continuaram.
Trouxe os livros para vós ler.
antes / liguem / de / saírem / vocês
It's common for them to arrive late.
Para ___ (we) termos sucesso, temos de trabalhar.
É proibido os cães ___ no restaurante.
Match the phrases:
Fui ao banco para eu levantares dinheiro.
melhor / irmos / é / agora / nós
Score: /15
FAQ (8)
It is a conjugated infinitive used to specify the subject.
When the subject of the infinitive is different from the main clause.
Add -es, -mos, -des, -em to the infinitive.
The forms are identical, but the usage is different.
Yes, but it often takes the impersonal form in speech.
Yes, to avoid ambiguity in formal contexts.
Use the impersonal infinitive.
Some irregular verbs have irregular stems, but the endings are consistent.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Infinitivo simple
Portuguese conjugates the infinitive; Spanish does not.
Infinitif
French infinitive is always invariant.
Infinitiv mit zu
German infinitive is always invariant.
Verb stems
Japanese has no infinitive category.
Masdar
Arabic verbal nouns are not inflected for person.
Verb serials
Chinese has no conjugation.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
The Personal Infinitive: Verbs with People Attached
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Formal & Literary Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal)
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