The Personal Infinitive: Avoiding the Subjunctive
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The Personal Infinitive allows you to specify the subject of an infinitive verb, avoiding clunky subjunctive clauses.
- Use it when the subject of the infinitive is different from the main verb: 'É importante eles estudarem.'
- Conjugate the infinitive using the personal endings (-es, -mos, -em) to show who is doing the action.
- Avoid it if the subject is the same as the main verb; use the simple infinitive instead.
Overview
The Portuguese Personal Infinitive, or Infinitivo Pessoal, represents a distinctive grammatical feature that allows for explicit subject assignment to a verb in its infinitive form. Unlike typical infinitives, which are impersonal and express a general action (e.g., English "to eat"), the Personal Infinitive can indicate who is performing the action, even within a non-finite clause. This capability is particularly valuable as it often provides an elegant alternative to structures that would otherwise necessitate the more complex subjunctive mood, especially following impersonal expressions.
This grammatical construct is unique among major Romance languages, offering a precision in subject reference that French, Spanish, or Italian lack in similar contexts. Mastering the Personal Infinitive is crucial for B2-level learners, enabling clearer communication, enhancing grammatical accuracy, and contributing significantly to sounding more natural and fluent. It streamlines sentence structure by integrating the subject directly into the infinitive, thus avoiding the que conjunction that frequently triggers the subjunctive.
How This Grammar Works
É importante (It's important), É necessário (It's necessary), É bom (It's good), É possível (It's possible), É provável (It's probable), É difícil (It's difficult), or É melhor (It's better).que: É importante que tu vás. However, by omitting que, you can directly use the Personal Infinitive, which conjugates to reflect the subject: É importante tu ires. Here, ires is the personal infinitive of ir (to go) for the tu form. The structure effectively condenses "for you to" into a single, conjugated infinitive. This direct subject-verb agreement within the infinitive clause makes the meaning unambiguous without resorting to a new finite clause introduced by que.É crucial estarmos atentos (It's crucial for us to be attentive) is more concise and direct than É crucial que estejamos atentos, though both are grammatically correct.Formation Pattern
ar, -er, -ir):
falar) | Example (comer) | Example (partir) |
falar | comer | partir |
es | falares | comeres | partires |
falar | comer | partir |
mos | falarmos | comermos | partirmos |
em | falarem | comerem | partirem |
eu (I) and ele/ela/você (he/she/you singular formal/informal) forms are identical to the impersonal infinitive. Context, or the explicit use of the pronoun, clarifies the subject. The -em ending for eles/elas/vocês is pronounced distinctly from the past tense -am (e.g., falarem vs. falaram). In the Personal Infinitive, the stress typically remains on the infinitive's root syllable, not shifting to the ending (fa-LA-rem vs. fa-la-RAM).
ser in PI is seres, in Future Subjunctive is fores).
estar | estar | estares| estar | estarmos| estarem |
ter | ter | teres | ter | termos | terem |
vir | vir | vires | vir | virmos | virem |
pôr | pôr | pores | pôr | pormos | porem |
fazer | fazer | fazeres| fazer | fazermos| fazerem |
dizer | dizer | dizeres| dizer | dizermos| dizerem |
saber | saber | saberes| saber | sabermos| saberem |
When To Use It
- 1After Impersonal Expressions: This is the most common and direct use, as discussed. When an impersonal phrase introduces a statement, and you need to specify who performs the action, the Personal Infinitive is the preferred choice over
que+ Subjunctive for conciseness and natural flow.
É fundamental tu entenderes a regra.(It's fundamental for you to understand the rule.)Seria bom nós falarmos sobre isso.(It would be good for us to talk about that.)É proibido os passageiros fumarem.(It's forbidden for the passengers to smoke.)
- 1After Prepositions: When an infinitive clause follows a preposition and has a subject distinct from the main clause's subject, the Personal Infinitive is typically used. This often occurs with temporal prepositions or prepositions indicating purpose or cause.
Ao chegares a casa, liga-me.(Upon your arrival at home, call me.) - The act ofchegarhastuas its subject.Para eles conseguirem o visto, precisam de muitos documentos.(For them to get the visa, they need many documents.) -Elesis the subject ofconseguir.Depois de nós comermos, vamos ao cinema.(After we eat, we'll go to the cinema.) -Nósis the subject ofcomer.Por estares doente, não podes vir.(Because you are sick, you can't come.) -Tuis the subject ofestar.
- 1With Verbs of Perception and Causation: Some verbs, particularly those related to perception (
ver,ouvir,sentir) or causation/permission (fazer,mandar,deixar), can take a direct object followed by a Personal Infinitive. This structure indicates that the direct object is the subject of the infinitive's action.
Eu vi os meninos brincarem no jardim.(I saw the children play in the garden.) -Os meninosare the subject ofbrincar.Ela ouviu o vizinho cantar.(She heard the neighbor sing.) -O vizinhois the subject ofcantar.Mandei o meu filho estudar.(I made my son study.) -O meu filhois the subject ofestudar.
- 1To Express Purpose or Consequence (Often with
para): Similar to its use after prepositions, the Personal Infinitive can clarify the agent of a purpose or consequence, especially withpara.
Trabalho muito para os meus filhos terem uma vida melhor.(I work hard for my children to have a better life.)
anyone or everyone) and a Personal Infinitive. If the action applies universally or to an unspecified agent, the impersonal infinitive is used without any subject agreement:É importante comer bem.(It's important to eat well – for anyone.)É importante tu comeres bem.(It's important for you to eat well – specifically fortu).
Common Mistakes
- 1Incorrect Endings for
EuandEle/Ela/Você: The most frequent mistake is attempting to apply an ending to the first and third person singular forms. Many learners instinctively try to conjugate these, leading to non-existent forms likeeu falaroorele falare. Remember: theeuandele/ela/vocêforms are identical to the impersonal infinitive (e.g.,falar,comer,partir). The subject is either implied by context or explicitly stated with the pronoun.
- Incorrect:
É bom eu comer o bolo. - Correct:
É bom eu comer o bolo.(The pronouneuis explicit here for clarity, but the verbcomerremains in its base infinitive form.)
- 1Mixing
quewith the Personal Infinitive: A classic error is to combine thequeconjunction (which typically demands the subjunctive) with the Personal Infinitive. The Personal Infinitive exists precisely to avoid thisque+ subjunctive structure when a specific subject needs to be assigned to the infinitive.
- Incorrect:
É importante que nós irmos à reunião. - Correct (Personal Infinitive):
É importante nós irmos à reunião. - Correct (Subjunctive):
É importante que nós vamos à reunião.
- 1Confusion with the Future Subjunctive: This is perhaps the most challenging distinction, as the Personal Infinitive and the Future Subjunctive are often morphologically identical for regular verbs. The key to differentiation lies in the context and, crucially, in the behavior of irregular verbs.
- Personal Infinitive: Used after impersonal expressions, prepositions, or verbs of perception/causation when a subject needs to be specified. It concerns the act of doing something by a specific agent.
Para tu fazeres isso, precisas de tempo.(For you to do that, you need time.) - PI, after prepositionpara.- Future Subjunctive: Used after specific conjunctions (
se,quando,enquanto,caso,logo que,assim que) to express a future hypothetical or conditional action. Se tu fizeres isso, terás um problema.(If you do that, you'll have a problem.) - Future Subjunctive, after conjunctionse.
Para tu falares vs. Quando tu falares). For irregular verbs, their forms diverge:Tu) | Future Subjunctive (Tu) |ser | seres | fores |estar | estares | estiveres |ter | teres | tiveres |vir | vires | vieres |ser, estar, ter, and vir are reliable indicators for distinguishing the two moods when they are irregular. If the forms are different, you are dealing with the Future Subjunctive in the second column.- 1Mispronunciation of the
eles/elas/vocêsEnding (-em): The Personal Infinitive ending-em(e.g.,falarem) is distinct in pronunciation from the past tense ending-am(e.g.,falaram). Learners sometimes confuse these, especially asfalaramis much more frequent in everyday speech. The-emin Personal Infinitive is generally unstressed and forms a nasal diphthong /ɐ̃ĩ/ (BP) or /ɐ̃j̃/ (EP), whereas-amin the past tense is typically stressed and forms a nasal diphthong /ɐ̃w̃/. Context is paramount here.
- 1Unnecessary Pronoun Use: While explicit pronouns (
eu,tu,nós,eles) can enhance clarity, especially foreuandele/ela/vocêforms, overusing them can sound redundant or stiff, particularly in European Portuguese where pro-drop is more prevalent.
É bom irmos ao café.(It's good to go to the café – understoodnós.)É bom nós irmos ao café.(Also correct, butnósis often omitted if context is clear.)
Real Conversations
The Personal Infinitive is not a relic of formal grammar; it is an active and dynamic part of contemporary Portuguese, used across various registers from casual conversation to professional communication. Understanding its application in real-world contexts solidifies comprehension.
Casual Conversation & Texting (European Portuguese Focus):
In European Portuguese (EP), the Personal Infinitive is pervasive in daily speech, often preferred for its conciseness over the subjunctive. In informal settings, such as texting or social media, its efficiency is highly valued.
- É fixe vermos isto agora. (It's cool for us to see this now.) - Replacing É fixe que vejamos isto agora.
- Para tu saberes, ele já saiu. (Just so you know, he already left.) - Concise way to convey information.
- Depois de eles chegarem, avisamos. (After they arrive, we'll let you know.)
- A common cultural insight: In EP, it's very common to hear É melhor irmos (It's better for us to go) rather than the Brazilian Portuguese (BP) É melhor a gente ir or the more formal É melhor que vamos (subjunctive). This preference highlights the Personal Infinitive's natural integration into everyday speech.
Work Emails & Professional Contexts:
In formal written communication, the Personal Infinitive contributes to a precise and professional tone, often used in conjunction with prepositions to outline responsibilities, conditions, or objectives.
- Para garantirmos a conformidade, solicitamos a revisão. (In order for us to ensure compliance, we request the review.) - Nós as the subject of garantir is clear.
- Após os colegas analisarem os dados, enviaremos o relatório. (After the colleagues analyze the data, we will send the report.)
- É essencial termos todos os documentos em ordem. (It's essential for us to have all documents in order.)
Brazilian Portuguese Nuances:
While the Personal Infinitive exists and is grammatically correct in Brazilian Portuguese (BP), its usage in informal contexts often differs from EP. In casual BP, speakers might more frequently opt for alternative constructions:
- É bom a gente ir. (It's good for us to go.) - Using a gente + impersonal infinitive is very common in informal BP, replacing É bom nós irmos.
- É importante que você entenda a regra. (It's important that you understand the rule.) - The que + subjunctive is often favored over É importante você entender a regra in spoken BP, though the latter is still grammatically sound.
However, in more formal BP, especially in written language or legal contexts, the Personal Infinitive retains its importance, particularly after prepositions or in constructions requiring unambiguous subject identification.
- Ao receberem a notificação, procederão ao pagamento. (Upon receiving the notification, they will proceed with payment.) - Formal BP context, clearly identifying the subject eles of receber.
Quick FAQ
- Can I always use the Subjunctive instead of the Personal Infinitive?
que + Subjunctive construction is grammatically possible (e.g., É importante tu ires vs. É importante que tu vás). However, relying solely on the subjunctive can make your Portuguese sound less natural, more repetitive, and sometimes overly formal or less direct.- Do I always need to state the pronoun (e.g.,
eu,tu,nós) with the Personal Infinitive?
eu, ele/ela/você forms, which are identical to the impersonal infinitive. Without the pronoun, the subject would need to be inferred from the broader context. For tu, nós, and eles/elas/vocês, the distinct endings often make the pronoun optional, but including it removes any potential ambiguity and reinforces the subject.É bom irmos ao café.(Understood asnós.)É bom nós irmos ao café.(Explicitnósfor added clarity.)
- Is the Personal Infinitive formal or informal?
É proibido os passageiros fumarem), in academic writing, in professional emails, and in everyday casual conversation. Its usage reflects grammatical precision rather than a specific level of formality, though its prevalence can vary between European and Brazilian Portuguese, as noted.- Why doesn't English (or Spanish/French) have this? What's the linguistic advantage?
for him to go). Spanish and French typically rely on explicit subordinate clauses with que + subjunctive.Personal Infinitive Conjugation (Regular -AR)
| Person | Ending | Example (Falar) |
|---|---|---|
|
Eu
|
-
|
falar
|
|
Tu
|
-es
|
falares
|
|
Ele/Ela/Você
|
-
|
falar
|
|
Nós
|
-mos
|
falarmos
|
|
Vocês/Eles/Elas
|
-em
|
falarem
|
Meanings
A unique Portuguese verb form that allows the infinitive to be inflected for person and number, clarifying who is performing the action.
Subject Specification
Identifying the actor of an infinitive verb.
“Eles pediram para nós fazermos o bolo.”
“É difícil eles entenderem o problema.”
Purpose Clauses
Expressing intent with a specific subject.
“Trouxe o livro para vocês lerem.”
“Deixei o dinheiro para eles comprarem o jantar.”
Formal/Legal Usage
Used in contracts and formal writing to define obligations.
“Os funcionários devem assinar para os documentos serem válidos.”
“É necessário os sócios concordarem com a proposta.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Inflected Infinitive
|
Eles precisam estudar.
|
|
Negative
|
Não + Inflected Infinitive
|
É melhor não sairmos.
|
|
Question
|
Inflected Infinitive + Subject?
|
É bom eles virem?
|
|
Prepositional
|
Para + Inflected Infinitive
|
Para vocês lerem.
|
|
Compound
|
Ter + Past Participle
|
Por eles terem ido.
|
|
Passive
|
Ser + Past Participle
|
Para serem vistos.
|
Formality Spectrum
É imperativo que os alunos estudem. (Education)
É importante eles estudarem. (Education)
É bom eles estudarem. (Education)
Têm que estudar. (Education)
Personal Infinitive Usage
Purpose
- para for
Necessity
- é necessário it is necessary
Subject Change
- eles they
Examples by Level
Para nós comermos.
For us to eat.
Para eles falarem.
For them to speak.
Para vocês verem.
For you all to see.
Para ela sair.
For her to leave.
É importante eles estudarem.
It is important for them to study.
É bom nós irmos.
It is good for us to go.
É difícil vocês entenderem.
It is hard for you all to understand.
É melhor ela ficar.
It is better for her to stay.
Trouxe o presente para vocês abrirem.
I brought the gift for you all to open.
Eles saíram sem nós vermos.
They left without us seeing.
É necessário os alunos chegarem cedo.
It is necessary for the students to arrive early.
Deixei a chave para eles entrarem.
I left the key for them to enter.
É fundamental os candidatos demonstrarem competência.
It is fundamental for candidates to demonstrate competence.
Para os documentos serem válidos, assinem aqui.
For the documents to be valid, sign here.
Não é justo eles pagarem tudo.
It is not fair for them to pay for everything.
A decisão depende de vocês decidirem.
The decision depends on you all deciding.
Apesar de eles terem tentado, não conseguiram.
Despite them having tried, they didn't succeed.
É imperativo os sócios concordarem com a proposta.
It is imperative for the partners to agree with the proposal.
Por eles terem chegado tarde, perderam o início.
Because they arrived late, they missed the beginning.
É recomendável os usuários lerem os termos.
It is recommended for users to read the terms.
Ao serem questionados, os réus silenciaram.
Upon being questioned, the defendants remained silent.
Para os resultados serem alcançados, é preciso dedicação.
For the results to be achieved, dedication is needed.
Sem eles terem avisado, não pudemos preparar nada.
Without them having warned us, we couldn't prepare anything.
É de suma importância os governantes agirem agora.
It is of utmost importance for leaders to act now.
Easily Confused
Both involve verb changes.
Both are infinitives.
Identical conjugation.
Common Mistakes
Para nós comer.
Para nós comermos.
Eles precisam falaram.
Eles precisam falar.
É bom eles falar.
É bom eles falarem.
Para eu ir.
Para eu ir.
É necessário nós vamos.
É necessário nós irmos.
Para vocês ver.
Para vocês verem.
Sem eles saber.
Sem eles saberem.
Espero que eles virem.
Espero que eles venham.
Para os alunos estudam.
Para os alunos estudarem.
É importante para mim estudar.
É importante eu estudar.
Ao eles chegarem.
Ao chegarem.
É preciso eles terem feito.
É preciso terem feito.
Para serem eles vistos.
Para serem vistos.
Sentence Patterns
É importante ___ (eles/estudar) agora.
Trouxe o livro para ___ (nós/ler).
É necessário ___ (os alunos/chegar) cedo.
Para ___ (os documentos/ser) válidos, assine.
Real World Usage
Mandei o link para vocês verem.
É importante os candidatos demonstrarem interesse.
Para os termos serem cumpridos.
Para o entregador encontrar o local.
É necessário os dados serem analisados.
É bom nós reservarmos o hotel.
Check the Subject
Avoid Redundancy
Future Subjunctive Link
Regional Use
Smart Tips
Always conjugate the verb after 'para' if the subject is not the same.
Conjugate the infinitive to match the subject.
Conjugate after 'sem' to show who is doing the action.
Use the personal infinitive for clarity.
Pronunciation
Stress
The stress remains on the infinitive stem.
Rising
É bom eles irem? ↑
Questioning necessity.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Personal Infinitive: 'Who' is the key! Add the ending to show the 'who'.
Visual Association
Imagine a group of people wearing shirts with letters on them (-es, -mos, -em). When they perform an action, they hold up their letter to show who is doing it.
Rhyme
If the subject is not the same, add the ending to the name (verb).
Story
Maria wants to go to the party. She tells her friends: 'É importante vocês irem comigo.' She uses 'irem' because it's not her, it's 'vocês'. Her friends agree: 'Vamos!'
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about your family using the personal infinitive (e.g., 'É bom meus pais viajarem').
Cultural Notes
Very common in daily speech to use 'a gente' + infinitive.
More formal usage, often preferred in writing.
Standard in all variants for clarity.
Unique to Portuguese, developed from Latin infinitive forms.
Conversation Starters
O que é importante para vocês fazerem hoje?
É difícil para os estudantes aprenderem português?
O que é necessário para os governantes mudarem o país?
Como podemos garantir que os projetos sejam concluídos?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
É importante eles ___ (estudar) mais.
Para nós ___ (ir) à festa, precisamos de convite.
Find and fix the mistake:
É bom para mim ir.
Eles querem que nós façamos o bolo. -> Eles querem ___ o bolo.
Use personal infinitive when the subject is the same.
A: Vamos sair? B: É melhor nós ___ (esperar).
importante / eles / chegar / é / cedo
Eles precisam ___ o trabalho.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesÉ importante eles ___ (estudar) mais.
Para nós ___ (ir) à festa, precisamos de convite.
Find and fix the mistake:
É bom para mim ir.
Eles querem que nós façamos o bolo. -> Eles querem ___ o bolo.
Use personal infinitive when the subject is the same.
A: Vamos sair? B: É melhor nós ___ (esperar).
importante / eles / chegar / é / cedo
Eles precisam ___ o trabalho.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesÉ necessário ___ (tu/vir) agora.
Não é justo ___ (vocês/pagar) a conta.
É melhor nós sair agora.
Select the correct form for 'It is important for me to go'.
difícil / eles / É / chegarem / a tempo
Match the personal infinitive endings.
It is good for us to talk.
É triste ___ (as crianças/estar) doentes.
Why is 'fazeres' used in 'É bom tu fazeres isso'?
É possível que tu chegares hoje?
Basta ___ (vós/pedir).
Score: /11
FAQ (8)
It is a verb form that allows the infinitive to be conjugated for person and number.
When the subject of the infinitive is different from the main verb.
Add personal endings like -es, -mos, -em to the infinitive.
No, they have different triggers and meanings.
Yes, but it looks like the simple infinitive.
Yes, it is very common in both Brazil and Portugal.
Using it when the subject is the same.
It is easy if you know the future subjunctive.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Subjunctive clauses
Spanish lacks an inflected infinitive.
Subjunctive or 'pour que' + subjunctive
French infinitive is always uninflected.
Infinitiv mit zu
German verbs do not inflect for person in the infinitive.
Verb + tame ni
Japanese verbs do not conjugate for person.
Masdar
Arabic does not have a personal infinitive.
Verb + purpose markers
Chinese verbs are invariant.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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