B1 Portuguese GrammarInfinitive vs Gerund
Master when to use the infinitive and gerund (gerúndio) in Portuguese. Learn the unique personal infinitive that conjugates for different subjects, the gerund for ongoing actions, and which verbs and prepositions require each form.
1Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal)
Portuguese has a unique personal infinitive that conjugates: falar, falares, falar, falarmos, falarem. It's used when the infinitive has a different subject from the main verb, after prepositions, and in many subordinate clauses. This feature doesn't exist in other Romance languages.
Personal Infinitive Forms
| Person | falar | comer | partir |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | falar | comer | partir |
| tu | falares | comeres | partires |
| ele/ela/você | falar | comer | partir |
| nós | falarmos | comermos | partirmos |
| eles/elas/vocês | falarem | comerem | partirem |
Examples
É importante estudarmos todos os dias.
It's important for us to study every day.
estudarmos = personal infinitive (nós)
Antes de vocês saírem, fechem as janelas.
Before you leave, close the windows.
saírem = personal infinitive (vocês)
Apesar de estarmos cansados, continuámos.
Despite being tired, we continued.
estarmos after apesar de
Ele entrou sem eu ver.
He came in without me seeing.
Personal infinitive with different subject
2Gerund (Gerúndio)
The gerund is formed by adding -ando (ar verbs), -endo (er verbs), or -indo (ir verbs). In European Portuguese, it's mainly used with estar for progressive actions. In Brazilian Portuguese, it's also used after prepositions instead of the infinitive.
Gerund Formation
| Verb type | Formation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ar verbs | stem + ando | falando |
| -er verbs | stem + endo | comendo |
| -ir verbs | stem + indo | partindo |
| irregular: ter | - | tendo |
| irregular: vir | - | vindo |
Examples
Estou estudando português.
I'm studying Portuguese.
estar + gerund = progressive
Ele ficou trabalhando até tarde.
He kept working until late.
ficar + gerund = keep doing
Saiu correndo da sala.
He left the room running.
Gerund describing manner
Estávamos jantando quando ele chegou.
We were having dinner when he arrived.
Past progressive with gerund
3Infinitive After Prepositions
In Portuguese, the infinitive (not gerund) follows most prepositions: antes de (before), depois de (after), para (to/for), sem (without), ao (upon). This differs from English which uses -ing: "before leaving" = antes de sair. European Portuguese strongly prefers infinitive; Brazilian uses both.
Preposition + Infinitive
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| antes de | before | antes de sair |
| depois de | after | depois de comer |
| para | to/in order to | para aprender |
| sem | without | sem falar |
| ao | upon/when | ao chegar |
Examples
Ao ver o resultado, ficou feliz.
Upon seeing the result, he became happy.
ao + infinitive = upon/when doing
Saiu sem dizer nada.
She left without saying anything.
sem + infinitive (not gerund)
Depois de terminar, vamos sair.
After finishing, we'll go out.
depois de + infinitive
Estudo para melhorar o meu português.
I study to improve my Portuguese.
para + infinitive = in order to
4Verbs with Infinitive or Gerund
Some verbs take infinitive directly: querer fazer (want to do), poder fazer (can do), dever fazer (must do). Others need a preposition: começar a fazer (start doing), acabar de fazer (just did). Perception verbs like ver and ouvir can take both: Vi-o sair / Vi-o saindo.
Common Verb Patterns
| Pattern | Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb + infinitive | querer, poder, dever | Quero falar. |
| verb + a + infinitive | começar, aprender, ir | Comecei a estudar. |
| verb + de + infinitive | acabar, deixar, gostar | Acabei de chegar. |
| verb + gerund | estar, ficar, continuar | Estou trabalhando. |
Examples
Ela começou a aprender francês.
She started learning French.
começar a + infinitive
Acabámos de jantar.
We just had dinner.
acabar de = to have just (done)
Continue trabalhando assim.
Keep working like that.
continuar + gerund
Deixei de fumar há dois anos.
I stopped smoking two years ago.
deixar de = to stop doing