C1 Personal Infinitive 13 min read 中等

在别人不知道的情况下做事:Sem + 人称不定式

When 'without' involves a new person doing the action, conjugate the infinitive to match them.

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use 'sem' + personal infinitive to describe an action performed by someone while omitting another action.

  • Use the personal infinitive form after 'sem' to specify the subject: 'Sem eles saberem' (Without them knowing).
  • If the subject is the same as the main clause, you can use the impersonal infinitive: 'Saí sem comer' (I left without eating).
  • Always conjugate the infinitive when the subject of the 'sem' clause differs from the main clause subject.
Subject A + Verb + sem + Verb(Infinitive-Personal) + Subject B

Overview

概览
你是否试过用葡萄牙语说“我离开时没被他们发现”?在英语中我们用 without 加 ing 形式。但在葡萄牙语中,我们有一个超能力叫 人称不定式 (Personal Infinitive)。它允许你直接在不定式动词上加上“人称”。这既精确又优雅,完美解决了介词短语中“谁在做动作”的问题。
语法原理
介词 sem 意为“没有”。如果主语和主句相同(例如“没付钱就吃了”),使用普通不定式:Sem pagar。但如果主语不同呢?“吃了但没付钱”。这时,葡萄牙语会对不定式进行“变位”,以匹配第二个主语。
构成模式
以基础不定式为基础,加上词尾。注意:对于 euele,形式看起来和普通不定式一模一样。
  1. 1不定式 开始。
  2. 2加上对应主语的词尾。
何时使用
当主句的主语与 sem 后面的动词主语不同时,必须使用此用法。这对清晰表达至关重要。例如:sem eles saberem(在他们不知道的情况下)。
常见错误
  • 使用虚拟语气: 除非为了非常正式,否则不要说 sem que eles saibam。用 sem eles saberem 更地道。
  • 忘记词尾:sem nós ir 是错的,应该是 sem nós irmos
相似句型对比
  • Sem + 无人称不定式: 主语相同时使用。
  • Sem que + 虚拟语气: 正式且较繁琐的说法。
快速问答
问:我可以一直用 'sem que' 吗?
答:可以,但听起来会非常生硬正式。
问:巴西和葡萄牙都用这个吗?
答:是的,这是葡语的核心特征,两地都通用。

Personal Infinitive Conjugation (Example: Saber)

Person Form
Eu
saber
Tu
saberes
Ele/Ela/Você
saber
Nós
sabermos
Vós
saberdes
Eles/Elas/Vocês
saberem

Meanings

This construction allows the speaker to indicate that an action occurred while a specific person or group did not perform a secondary action.

1

Subject differentiation

Specifying who did not do something.

“Saí sem eles verem.”

“Ele assinou sem o advogado ler.”

2

General exclusion

General lack of action.

“Sem sabermos, tudo mudou.”

“Sem eles pedirem, ajudei.”

Reference Table

Reference table for 在别人不知道的情况下做事:Sem + 人称不定式
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
sem + [Personal Infinitive]
Saí sem eles verem.
Negative
sem + não + [Personal Infinitive]
Saí sem não verem (rare/emphatic)
Question
sem + [Personal Infinitive] + ?
Saíste sem eles saberem?
Same Subject
sem + [Impersonal Infinitive]
Saí sem comer.
Plural Subject
sem + [Personal Infinitive Plural]
Saímos sem eles saberem.
Formal
sem + [Personal Infinitive]
Sem vós saberdes, agimos.

正式程度

正式
Procedi sem o gestor saber.

Procedi sem o gestor saber. (Workplace)

中性
Fiz sem o gestor saber.

Fiz sem o gestor saber. (Workplace)

非正式
Fiz sem o chefe saber.

Fiz sem o chefe saber. (Workplace)

俚语
Fiz sem o boss saber.

Fiz sem o boss saber. (Workplace)

Personal Infinitive Logic

Sem + Infinitive

Same Subject

  • Impersonal No conjugation

Different Subject

  • Personal Conjugate verb

按水平分级的例句

1

Saí sem eles saberem.

I left without them knowing.

2

Comi sem tu veres.

I ate without you seeing.

3

Fiz sem eles pedirem.

I did it without them asking.

4

Entrei sem eles notarem.

I entered without them noticing.

1

Eles foram sem nós sabermos.

They went without us knowing.

2

Ela falou sem eles ouvirem.

She spoke without them hearing.

3

Trabalhei sem eles verem.

I worked without them seeing.

4

Saímos sem vós saberdes.

We left without you (plural) knowing.

1

O projeto avançou sem os sócios aprovarem.

The project moved forward without the partners approving.

2

Eles decidiram sem nós consultarmos.

They decided without us consulting.

3

A casa foi vendida sem os donos saberem.

The house was sold without the owners knowing.

4

Fizemos o plano sem eles participarem.

We made the plan without them participating.

1

A empresa tomou medidas sem os funcionários compreenderem.

The company took measures without the employees understanding.

2

Ele assinou o contrato sem o advogado lerem.

He signed the contract without the lawyer reading it.

3

Eles viajaram sem os pais permitirem.

They traveled without the parents allowing.

4

A lei foi aprovada sem a população debaterem.

The law was passed without the population debating.

1

O sistema foi alterado sem os desenvolvedores preverem as consequências.

The system was altered without the developers foreseeing the consequences.

2

Ela agiu sem os seus pares concordarem com a estratégia.

She acted without her peers agreeing with the strategy.

3

Eles concluíram a tarefa sem os supervisores fiscalizarem.

They finished the task without the supervisors inspecting.

4

A mudança ocorreu sem os moradores anteciparem o impacto.

The change occurred without the residents anticipating the impact.

1

A decisão foi ratificada sem os membros do conselho deliberarem.

The decision was ratified without the board members deliberating.

2

O autor publicou a obra sem os críticos avaliarem o manuscrito.

The author published the work without the critics evaluating the manuscript.

3

A crise eclodiu sem os analistas vislumbrarem a magnitude.

The crisis erupted without the analysts envisioning the magnitude.

4

O acordo foi selado sem as partes litigantes transigirem.

The agreement was sealed without the litigating parties compromising.

容易混淆

Doing things without others knowing: Personal Infinitive with 'Sem' 对比 Impersonal Infinitive

Learners use personal when impersonal is needed.

Doing things without others knowing: Personal Infinitive with 'Sem' 对比 Future Subjunctive

They look the same.

Doing things without others knowing: Personal Infinitive with 'Sem' 对比 Subjunctive Present

Learners use it after 'sem'.

常见错误

Saí sem eles saber.

Saí sem eles saberem.

Missing personal infinitive suffix.

Saí sem eu saber.

Saí sem saber.

Over-conjugating when subject is same.

Sem eles ver.

Sem eles verem.

Agreement error.

Sem nós faze.

Sem nós fazermos.

Incorrect root.

Ele falou sem vós saber.

Ele falou sem vós saberdes.

Missing suffix for vós.

Sem eles chegar.

Sem eles chegarem.

Plural agreement missing.

Sem ela verem.

Sem ela ver.

Wrong agreement for singular.

Sem os pais saber.

Sem os pais saberem.

Plural subject needs plural suffix.

Sem nós ter feito.

Sem nós termos feito.

Compound infinitive agreement.

Sem eles terem ido.

Sem eles terem ido.

Actually correct, but often confused with simple.

Sem os membros do conselho deliberar.

Sem os membros do conselho deliberarem.

Complex subject agreement.

Sem as partes transigir.

Sem as partes transigirem.

Agreement in legal context.

Sem os analistas vislumbrar.

Sem os analistas vislumbrarem.

Agreement with distant subject.

Sem o autor publicar.

Sem o autor publicar.

Wait, this is correct (singular), but often mistaken for plural.

句型

Eu fiz ___ sem eles ___.

Eles saíram sem nós ___.

A lei passou sem a população ___.

O projeto foi finalizado sem os sócios ___.

Real World Usage

Social Media common

Postei a foto sem eles verem.

Texting constant

Saí sem eles saberem.

Job Interview common

Tomei a decisão sem o gestor saber.

Legal Document occasional

O contrato foi assinado sem as partes saberem.

Food Delivery App rare

O pedido saiu sem o cliente saber.

Travel common

Comprei a passagem sem eles saberem.

💡

Check the subject

Always ask: who is doing the action in the 'sem' clause? If it's not the main subject, conjugate!
⚠️

Don't over-conjugate

If you are the subject of both verbs, keep it simple. 'Saí sem comer' is better than 'Saí sem eu comer'.
🎯

Future Subjunctive

If you know the future subjunctive, you already know the personal infinitive. They are the same!
💬

Clarity is key

In professional settings, using the personal infinitive prevents misunderstandings about who was involved.

Smart Tips

Conjugate the infinitive verb.

Saí sem eles saber. Saí sem eles saberem.

Use the simple infinitive.

Saí sem eu comer. Saí sem comer.

Use the personal infinitive to ensure clarity.

O projeto avançou sem os sócios saber. O projeto avançou sem os sócios saberem.

Think of the future subjunctive.

Sem eles chegar. Sem eles chegarem.

发音

sa-BER-em

Suffix stress

The stress remains on the infinitive root, not the suffix.

Falling intonation

Saí sem eles saberem. ↘

Statement of fact.

记住它

记忆技巧

Sem-Subject-Suffix: If the subject changes, the suffix must change too!

视觉联想

Imagine a person walking through a door (Main Clause) while a group of people behind them are wearing masks (The 'sem' clause). Because the people behind are different from the walker, they need their own 'mask' (the suffix).

Rhyme

Se o sujeito mudar, a terminação tem que acompanhar.

Story

João entered the party. He wanted to surprise everyone. He walked in 'sem eles verem' (without them seeing). He hid behind a curtain. He waited 'sem eles saberem' (without them knowing).

Word Web

semsaberemveremfazeremchegaremsaírem

挑战

Write 5 sentences about your day using 'sem' + personal infinitive to describe things others didn't notice.

文化笔记

Very common in daily speech to use the personal infinitive for clarity.

More formal usage, often preferred in writing.

Similar to Brazil, focus on clarity.

Derived from the Latin infinitive, the personal infinitive is a unique development in Ibero-Romance.

对话开场白

Já fizeste algo sem os teus pais saberem?

É possível trabalhar sem o chefe saber?

Consegues sair de casa sem os vizinhos verem?

Já assinaste algo sem o advogado ler?

日记主题

Describe a surprise party you planned.
Write about a time you broke a rule.
Discuss a secret project at work.
Write a story about a spy.

常见错误

Incorrect

正确


Incorrect

正确


Incorrect

正确


Incorrect

正确

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'saber'.

Saí sem eles ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: saberem
Eles requires the -em ending.
Choose the correct sentence. 多项选择

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saí sem comer.
Same subject, use impersonal.
Correct the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eles foram sem nós saber.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eles foram sem nós sabermos.
Nós requires -mos.
Transform to personal infinitive. Sentence Transformation

Saí sem ver. (Eles)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saí sem eles verem.
Eles needs -em.
Conjugate 'fazer' for 'vós'. Conjugation Drill

Saímos sem vós ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fazerdes
Vós requires -des.
Match subject to ending. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: -mos
Nós matches -mos.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

sem / eles / chegar / saímos

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saímos sem eles chegarem.
Correct structure.
Is this rule true? True False Rule

The personal infinitive is used when the subject is the same.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
It is used when the subject is DIFFERENT.

Score: /8

练习题

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'saber'.

Saí sem eles ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: saberem
Eles requires the -em ending.
Choose the correct sentence. 多项选择

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saí sem comer.
Same subject, use impersonal.
Correct the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eles foram sem nós saber.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eles foram sem nós sabermos.
Nós requires -mos.
Transform to personal infinitive. Sentence Transformation

Saí sem ver. (Eles)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saí sem eles verem.
Eles needs -em.
Conjugate 'fazer' for 'vós'. Conjugation Drill

Saímos sem vós ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fazerdes
Vós requires -des.
Match subject to ending. Match Pairs

Nós -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: -mos
Nós matches -mos.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

sem / eles / chegar / saímos

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saímos sem eles chegarem.
Correct structure.
Is this rule true? True False Rule

The personal infinitive is used when the subject is the same.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
It is used when the subject is DIFFERENT.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Complete with the correct Personal Infinitive. 填空

O professor explicou sem os alunos ___ (entender).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: entenderem
Conjugate 'falar' for 'tu'. 填空

Não desligues sem tu ___ (falar) comigo!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: falares
Match the subject to the correct 'sem' ending. Match Pairs

Match the pronoun to the verb suffix.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["Eu : (no ending)","N\u00f3s : -mos","Tu : -es","Eles : -em"]
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence. Sentence Reorder

pagarem / saíram / eles / sem / .

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eles saíram sem pagarem.
Which sentence implies 'YOU' (plural/vocês) did not pay? 多项选择

O jantar acabou...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ...sem pagarem.
Correct the verb form. Error Correction

Fizemos tudo sem o chefe saberem.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Fizemos tudo sem o chefe saber.
Translate 'Without us asking'. 翻译

Translate: Without us asking.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sem nós pedirmos.
Complete the sentence. 填空

É impossível entrares sem eles ___ (abrir) a porta.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: abrirem
Identify the correct structure. 多项选择

Which is correct for 'Without me going'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sem eu ir.
Find the mistake. Error Correction

Eles entraram sem nós ouvimos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eles entraram sem nós ouvirmos.

Score: /10

常见问题 (8)

To avoid ambiguity about who is performing the action in a secondary clause.

Yes, the forms are identical, but the usage is different (factual vs hypothetical).

Yes, any verb can be conjugated in the personal infinitive.

The form is the same as the impersonal infinitive, so context is vital.

It is used in all registers, but essential in formal writing.

Because 'sem saber' is more natural when the subject is the same.

Yes, very frequently.

Try writing sentences about secrets or things happening without others knowing.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish partial

Sin + infinitive

Spanish lacks the personal infinitive.

French partial

Sans + infinitive

French does not conjugate the infinitive.

German low

Ohne + zu + infinitive

German does not have a personal infinitive.

Japanese low

~nai de

Japanese verb conjugation is entirely different.

Arabic low

Bidun an + subjunctive

Arabic uses the subjunctive, not the infinitive.

Chinese low

Meiyou + verb

Chinese has no verb conjugation.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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