In Italian, any infinitive can be used as a noun (sostantivo). This is called the 'infinito sostantivato'. It is extremely common and allows verbs to function as subjects or objects of other verbs, or to follow prepositions. English often uses the '-ing' form in the same role: 'Smoking is harmful' = 'Il fumare fa male'.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Viaggiare è bello. | Travelling is beautiful. |
| Mangiare bene è importante. | Eating well is important. |
| Dormire poco fa male. | Sleeping little is bad for you. |
| Il leggere amplia la mente. | Reading broadens the mind. |
The infinitive used as a subject can appear with or without the definite article 'il/lo'. Without the article is more common in everyday Italian. With 'il/lo' is more formal or literary: 'Studiare è utile' (neutral) vs 'Lo studiare è utile' (formal/emphatic). The article is more commonly used when the infinitive follows a preposition.
| Preposition + Infinitive | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| prima di + inf. | before doing | Prima di uscire, chiudi la porta. |
| dopo + past inf. | after doing | Dopo aver mangiato, si è addormentato. |
| senza + inf. | without doing | È uscito senza salutare. |
| invece di + inf. | instead of doing | Ha dormito invece di studiare. |
| oltre a + inf. | besides doing | Oltre a cucinare, lava anche i piatti. |
| al + inf. | upon doing / when | Al sentire la notizia, si è messa a piangere. |
| nel + inf. | while doing / in doing | Nel leggere il libro, ho trovato un errore. |
After 'dopo', Italian uses the PAST infinitive (dopo aver/essere + past participle), not the present infinitive. This is a very important rule. 'Dopo mangiare' is incorrect in standard Italian; the correct form is 'dopo aver mangiato'. The auxiliary (avere or essere) follows the same rules as the passato prossimo.
Many Italian verbs are followed directly by an infinitive (also a type of 'infinito sostantivato'). Some verbs take a direct infinitive: volere, potere, dovere, sapere, preferire. Others require 'di' + infinitive: cercare di, decidere di, sperare di, smettere di, dimenticarsi di. Others require 'a' + infinitive: cominciare a, imparare a, riuscire a, abituarsi a.
| Verb + preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| cercare di + inf. | Cerco di dormire di più. |
| decidere di + inf. | Ha deciso di partire. |
| sperare di + inf. | Spero di vederti presto. |
| smettere di + inf. | Ha smesso di fumare. |
| dimenticarsi di + inf. | Mi sono dimenticato di chiamare. |
| cominciare a + inf. | Ha cominciato a piovere. |
| imparare a + inf. | Sto imparando a guidare. |
| riuscire a + inf. | Non riesco a dormire. |
Never use 'dopo + present infinitive'. Always use 'dopo aver/essere + past participle'. This is one of the most common mistakes made by learners. Compare: 'prima di mangiare' (before eating — present infinitive) vs 'dopo aver mangiato' (after eating — past infinitive).
10 exercises · 0 completed
Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive as subject (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive as subject (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — after prepositions (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — after prepositions (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — dopo + past infinitive (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — dopo + past infinitive (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — verbs + di + infinitive (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — verbs + a + infinitive (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — mixed prepositions (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — group 1 review (10)
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Infinito Sostantivato — verbs + di + infinitive (2)
10 questions
Infinito Sostantivato — verbs + a + infinitive (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive with article (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive in formal/written contexts (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive vs gerundio as subject (3)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive as object (4)
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Infinito Sostantivato — past infinitive as object (5)
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Infinito Sostantivato — translations (6)
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Infinito Sostantivato — error correction (7)
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Infinito Sostantivato — group 2 review (8)
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Infinito Sostantivato — impersonal expressions + infinitive (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — noun + di + infinitive (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — adjective + da + infinitive (3)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive replacing che + congiuntivo (4)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive in passive constructions (5)
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Infinito Sostantivato — reflexive infinitives (6)
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Infinito Sostantivato — complex sentences (7)
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Infinito Sostantivato — translations (8)
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Infinito Sostantivato — reading comprehension (9)
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Infinito Sostantivato — group 3 comprehensive review (10)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive vs che + congiuntivo (advanced) (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive with causative fare/lasciare (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive with perception verbs (3)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive in formal writing (4)
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Infinito Sostantivato — complex preposition + infinitive (5)
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Infinito Sostantivato — nominalization vs infinitive (6)
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Infinito Sostantivato — mixed advanced structures (7)
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Infinito Sostantivato — error identification (8)
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Infinito Sostantivato — preposition + infinitive in context (9)
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Infinito Sostantivato — verbs + di/a + infinitive (10)
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Infinito Sostantivato — article choice il/lo/l' before infinitive (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — article choice il/lo/l' before infinitive (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive vs gerund as subject (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive vs gerund as subject (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — past infinitive with avere/essere (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — past infinitive with avere/essere (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive as object noun (1)
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Infinito Sostantivato — infinitive as object noun (2)
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Infinito Sostantivato — advanced error correction (1)
10 questions
Infinito Sostantivato — advanced mixed review (final)
10 questions