Personal Infinitive: Conjugating Verbs After Prepositions (Infinitivo Pessoal)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The Personal Infinitive allows you to specify who is performing an action after a preposition.
- Use the personal infinitive when the subject of the infinitive is different from the main clause subject.
- Conjugate the infinitive using the personal endings (-, -es, -, -mos, -des, -em).
- Always use it after prepositions like 'para', 'por', 'sem', 'ao', and 'depois de'.
Overview
Portuguese is unique among many Romance languages for its Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal). Unlike the impersonal infinitive, which remains unchanged regardless of the subject performing the action (e.g., English to eat), the personal infinitive inflects for person and number. This grammatical feature allows the verb to agree with a specific, expressed or implied subject, even within a non-finite clause.
This precise agreement enhances clarity, especially when the subject of the infinitive verb differs from the main clause's subject, often following a preposition.
The existence of the personal infinitive is rooted in Vulgar Latin and is a testament to Portuguese's distinctive evolutionary path. It serves a crucial function: to avoid ambiguity and to streamline sentence structure. Instead of relying on complex subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like que, the personal infinitive provides a more concise and idiomatic way to attribute an action to a specific agent.
Mastering this construction is essential for sounding natural and proficient in Portuguese, moving beyond literal translations that often sound stilted to native speakers.
How This Grammar Works
Para nós chegarmos a tempo, precisamos sair agora. (For us to arrive on time, we need to leave now.). Here, chegarmos is the personal infinitive of chegar (to arrive), conjugated to agree with nós (we).para introduces a clause whose subject (nós) is distinct from the main clause's subject (nós in precisamos sair). Without the personal infinitive, the subject of chegar would be ambiguous or require a more cumbersome construction.chegar) to its specified subject (nós). If the subject of the infinitive is the same as the main clause's subject, the impersonal infinitive is typically used. For example, Vou sair para comprar pão (I'm going out to buy bread).eu (I) is both the subject of vou sair and comprar, so no personal infinitive is required for comprar. However, if the subjects diverge, the personal infinitive becomes necessary: Vou sair para eles comprarem pão (I'm going out for them to buy bread). The ending -rem on comprarem unequivocally indicates that eles (they) are the ones performing the action of buying, not eu.que + Subjunctive Mood, which, while grammatically correct, can sound more formal or less fluid in everyday conversation.Formation Pattern
eu, ele/ela/você), the personal infinitive is identical to the impersonal infinitive, meaning it has no distinct ending.
-r from the impersonal infinitive. This leaves you with the stem.
Falar (to speak) | Comer (to eat) | Partir (to leave) |
Eu | - | falar | comer | partir |
Tu | -es | falares | comeres | partires |
Ele/Ela/Você | - | falar | comer | partir |
Nós | -mos | falarmos | comermos | partirmos |
Vós | -des | falardes | comerdes | partirdes |
Eles/Elas/Vocês | -em | falarem | comerem | partirem |
Ser (to be): ser, seres, ser, sermos, serdes, serem
Ter (to have): ter, teres, ter, termos, terdes, terem
Ir (to go): ir, ires, ir, irmos, irdes, irem
Vir (to come): vir, vires, vir, virmos, virdes, virem
Pôr (to put): pôr, pores, pôr, pormos, pordes, porem
vós form (-des). While grammatically correct, its use is almost exclusively confined to very formal writing, religious texts, or specific regional dialects in Portugal. In modern everyday Portuguese, both in Brazil and Portugal, the vocês form is predominantly used for the second person plural, meaning vocês + -em is the practical form you will encounter and use.
When To Use It
para(in order to, for): This is arguably the most frequent trigger, indicating purpose, intention, or destination.Ela comprou o presente para nós abrirmos juntos.(She bought the present for us to open together.)É essencial para vocês entenderem a matéria antes do exame.(It's essential for you all to understand the material before the exam.)Não há razão para ele se preocupar tanto.(There's no reason for him to worry so much.)
sem(without): Expresses an absence or lack of an action.Eles saíram sem nós vermos a mensagem.(They left without us seeing the message.)Você não pode julgar alguém sem conheceres a sua história.(You can't judge someone without knowing their story.) - Note thetuform for 'knowing your story'.
ao(upon, when): Often indicates simultaneous actions or an action immediately preceding another.Aois a contraction ofa+o(definite article), but in this context, it functions as a prepositionafollowed by the infinitive.Ao chegarmos ao aeroporto, descobrimos que o voo foi cancelado.(Upon arriving at the airport, we discovered the flight was cancelled.)Ao entrarem na sala, todos fizeram silêncio.(When they entered the room, everyone fell silent.)
depois de(after) andantes de(before): Used to establish temporal relationships between actions.Depois de eles almoçarem, vamos para a praia.(After they eat lunch, we're going to the beach.)Lavem as mãos antes de comerem qualquer coisa.(Wash your hands before eating anything.)
por(because of, for): Indicates a reason or cause.Por estares doente, não podes ir à festa.(Because you are sick, you cannot go to the party.)Fui punido por ter chegado atrasado.(I was punished for having arrived late.) - Note: when the subject is the same as the main clause (eu), the impersonal infinitive is used, or in some cases for clarity or emphasis, the personal infinitive may appear.
apesar de(despite),a fim de(in order to),em vez de(instead of): Other prepositional phrases that commonly trigger the personal infinitive.Apesar de elas se esforçarem, não conseguiram terminar o projeto.(Despite them trying hard, they couldn't finish the project.)A fim de evitarmos problemas, revisamos tudo cuidadosamente.(In order to avoid problems, we reviewed everything carefully.)Em vez de tu reclamares, por que não ajudas?(Instead of you complaining, why don't you help?)
É proibido fumar (Smoking is forbidden) uses the impersonal infinitive because it's a general prohibition, not directed at specific individuals.Para vocês não fumarem aqui, precisam sair (For you all not to smoke here, you need to leave) specifies the subjects (vocês), necessitating the personal infinitive.Common Mistakes
- 1Overuse when subjects are identical: A frequent mistake is using the personal infinitive even when the subject of the infinitive verb is the same as the main clause's subject. In such cases, the simpler impersonal infinitive is correct and more natural. For example:
- Incorrect:
Eu preciso eu estudar mais.(I need I to study more.) - Correct:
Eu preciso estudar mais.(I need to study more.)
eu is already the subject of preciso, making the personal infinitive redundant and grammatically awkward.- 1Confusion with the
Futuro do Subjuntivo(Future Subjunctive): For most regular verbs, the personal infinitive forms are identical to the Future Subjunctive forms. This can lead to confusion, especially when trigger words are similar.
- Personal Infinitive:
Para nós falarmos com ele...(For us to speak with him...) - Future Subjunctive:
Quando nós falarmos com ele...(When we speak with him...)
para, sem, depois de generally trigger the personal infinitive, indicating purpose, consequence, or temporal relation. Conjunctions like quando (when), se (if), enquanto (while) typically trigger the Future Subjunctive, expressing a future action that is hypothetical or dependent on a condition. Always analyze the preceding word and the intended meaning.- 1Forgetting endings for
nósandeles/elas/vocês: Especially in Brazilian Portuguese, wherea genteis often used informally to mean
Personal Infinitive Conjugation (Regular -ar)
| Person | Ending | Example (Falar) |
|---|---|---|
|
Eu
|
-
|
falar
|
|
Tu
|
-es
|
falares
|
|
Ele/Ela/Você
|
-
|
falar
|
|
Nós
|
-mos
|
falarmos
|
|
Vós
|
-des
|
falardes
|
|
Eles/Elas/Vocês
|
-em
|
falarem
|
Meanings
The personal infinitive is a unique Portuguese verb form that allows the infinitive to be conjugated to indicate a specific subject.
Subject specification
Clarifying the actor of an action following a preposition.
“Para eles estudarem, precisamos de silêncio.”
“Sem tu saberes, eu comprei o bilhete.”
Temporal sequence
Indicating an action that occurs after another.
“Ao chegarem, avisem-me.”
“Depois de eles saírem, limpei a casa.”
Causal link
Explaining the reason for an action.
“Por eles não terem estudado, reprovaram.”
“Por vós terdes chegado tarde, perdemos o comboio.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Prep + Verb(Inf) + Subj
|
Para eles comerem
|
|
Negative
|
Prep + não + Verb(Inf)
|
Para não comermos
|
|
Question
|
Prep + Verb(Inf) + Subj?
|
Para eles comerem?
|
|
Compound
|
Prep + ter + Participle
|
Por eles terem comido
|
|
Passive
|
Prep + ser + Participle
|
Para sermos vistos
|
|
Reflexive
|
Prep + Verb(Inf) + Pronoun
|
Para nos sentarmos
|
Formality Spectrum
Para partirmos. (Leaving a meeting)
Para nós partirmos. (Leaving a meeting)
Para a gente partir. (Leaving a meeting)
Para a gente vazar. (Leaving a meeting)
Personal Infinitive Logic
Triggers
- para for
- sem without
- por because/by
Endings
- -es tu
- -mos nós
- -em eles
Examples by Level
Para eu comer.
For me to eat.
Para tu veres.
For you to see.
Para ele falar.
For him to speak.
Para nós irmos.
For us to go.
Sem eles saberem.
Without them knowing.
Depois de vós sairdes.
After you (pl) leave.
Por eu estar aqui.
Because I am here.
Antes de vocês chegarem.
Before you (pl) arrive.
Eles pediram para nós fazermos o relatório.
They asked for us to do the report.
Estou aqui para vocês aprenderem.
I am here for you to learn.
Sem nós termos dinheiro, não viajamos.
Without us having money, we don't travel.
Por eles terem chegado cedo, ganharam o prémio.
Because they arrived early, they won the prize.
Ao verem os resultados, ficaram felizes.
Upon seeing the results, they were happy.
Apesar de eles terem tentado, falharam.
Despite them having tried, they failed.
Para não sermos vistos, escondemo-nos.
In order not to be seen, we hid.
Antes de os alunos entrarem, limpem a sala.
Before the students enter, clean the room.
Por vós terdes sido tão gentis, agradeço.
For you having been so kind, I thank you.
Ao serem questionados, responderam prontamente.
Upon being questioned, they responded promptly.
Sem eles terem tido a oportunidade, não puderam decidir.
Without them having had the opportunity, they couldn't decide.
Para não haverem mal-entendidos, explico tudo.
So there are no misunderstandings, I explain everything.
Ao virem eles, a sala silenciou-se.
Upon their arrival, the room went silent.
Por terem sido eles os autores, a culpa é sua.
Because they were the authors, the fault is theirs.
Sem haverem mais questões, encerramos a sessão.
Without there being more questions, we close the session.
Para vós terdes chegado a este ponto, muito lutastes.
For you to have reached this point, you fought much.
Easily Confused
Learners don't know when to add the ending.
Both can express purpose.
They look identical.
Common Mistakes
Para eu fala.
Para eu falar.
Para eles fala.
Para eles falarem.
Sem nós comer.
Sem nós comermos.
Depois de tu chega.
Depois de tu chegares.
Para nós vamos.
Para nós irmos.
Sem eles fazem.
Sem eles fazerem.
Para vós fazeis.
Para vós fazerdes.
Para que eles falarem.
Para eles falarem.
Antes de eles ter chegado.
Antes de eles terem chegado.
Por eu ser cansado.
Por eu estar cansado.
Ao eles chegarem.
Ao chegarem eles.
Para haverem muitos problemas.
Para haver muitos problemas.
Sem eles ter visto.
Sem eles terem visto.
Por vós teres feito.
Por vós terdes feito.
Sentence Patterns
Para ___ (subject) ___ (verb), preciso de ajuda.
Sem ___ (subject) ___ (verb), não podemos avançar.
Depois de ___ (subject) ___ (verb), vamos jantar.
Por ___ (subject) ___ (verb), o projeto atrasou.
Real World Usage
Para vocês terem acesso, cliquem no link.
Para a gente se ver, avisa.
Por eu ter experiência, posso ajudar.
Antes de vocês saírem, verifiquem o mapa.
Para o estafeta vos encontrar, indiquem a porta.
Para vocês verem mais, sigam-me.
Check the subject
Avoid 'que'
Future Subjunctive match
Regional variation
Smart Tips
Check if the subject of the verb is the same as the main clause. If not, conjugate!
Think of the future subjunctive endings. They are the same!
Use the personal infinitive instead of a 'que' clause.
Attach the pronoun to the end of the conjugated infinitive.
Pronunciation
Stress
The stress remains on the infinitive root, not the ending.
Rising
Para eles falarem? ↗
Questioning intent
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'Personal' means 'Person'—you must add the person's ending to the verb.
Visual Association
Imagine a train where each carriage (ending) is attached to the engine (infinitive) to show exactly who is on board.
Rhyme
Para tu falares, para nós falarmos, o final muda para não nos enganarmos.
Story
Maria wanted to bake a cake. She said: 'Para eu fazer o bolo, preciso de ovos.' Then she told her friends: 'Para vocês comerem o bolo, esperem um pouco.' Finally, she said: 'Para nós termos um bom lanche, vamos sentar.'
Word Web
Challenge
Write 3 sentences today using 'Para', 'Sem', and 'Depois de' with different subjects.
Cultural Notes
The personal infinitive is used very frequently in formal and written Portuguese.
In informal speech, Brazilians often use the impersonal infinitive or 'a gente' + indicative instead.
Similar to Portugal, it is highly valued in formal contexts.
The personal infinitive evolved from the Latin infinitive, which gained personal endings in Portuguese to resolve ambiguity.
Conversation Starters
Para tu aprenderes português, o que fazes?
Depois de tu chegares a casa, o que fazes?
Sem tu teres internet, como trabalhas?
Por tu teres escolhido este curso, estás feliz?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Para eles ___ (falar), precisamos de silêncio.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Para tu veres, eu trouxe o livro. (Correct: Para tu ___)
Para eu sair, preciso de tempo. (Change to 'nós')
The personal infinitive is used after prepositions.
A: Por que eles não foram? B: Por eles não ___ (ter) tempo.
para / eles / verem / o / filme
Para vós ___
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesPara eles ___ (falar), precisamos de silêncio.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Para tu veres, eu trouxe o livro. (Correct: Para tu ___)
Para eu sair, preciso de tempo. (Change to 'nós')
The personal infinitive is used after prepositions.
A: Por que eles não foram? B: Por eles não ___ (ter) tempo.
para / eles / verem / o / filme
Para vós ___
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesAntes de vocês ___ (sair), apaguem a luz.
eles / sem / saíram / nos / avisarem
In order for us to win, we need to play well.
Apesar de eles ___ (ser) irmãos, são muito diferentes.
Fiz o bolo para tu comer.
Match the pairs:
Ao ___ (chegarmos) ao hotel, fomos dormir.
Vou esperar até vocês ___.
Eles trabalham para nós sermos rico.
They left without saying goodbye.
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
Use it after prepositions when the subject of the infinitive is different from the main clause subject.
Yes, the forms are identical, but they are used in different grammatical contexts.
Yes, but in Brazil, people often use 'a gente' + indicative instead.
Because it is conjugated to reflect the person (subject) performing the action.
You can use the impersonal infinitive or the personal one, but the impersonal is more common.
Yes, the pronoun follows the infinitive: 'Para nos sentarmos'.
Yes, it is a standard feature of the language across all Lusophone countries.
Simply place 'não' before the conjugated infinitive: 'Para não falarmos'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Para + infinitive
Spanish lacks the personal infinitive.
Pour + infinitive
French uses subjunctive clauses where Portuguese uses personal infinitives.
Um... zu
German relies on subordinate clauses.
~tame ni
Japanese verbs are not inflected for person.
Masdar
Arabic masdar is static.
为了 (wèile)
Chinese has no verb conjugation.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Videos
PERSONAL INFINITIVE | Learn Portuguese #49
Hello Rusty
When to use the Infinitivo Pessoal in European Portuguese.
Learn European Portuguese Online
How to use Infinitive in Portuguese? Infinitivo pessoal e impesssoal explicado com os exemplos!
Listen and Learn Portuguese with Maria
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