Did you know that when it comes to verbs, everything starts with the infinitive?

The French infinitive (l’infinitif) is the base form of a verb that does not express a tense, person, or number. It is a single word and can be categorized by its ending: -er (ie. parler), -ir (ie. finir), and -re (ie. apprendre). In English, the infinitive is typically expressed as “to” followed by the verb (ie. “to talk”). The infinitive serves as the “name” of any given verb and is essential for looking up verbs in dictionaries and conjugation tables.

The French infinitive can be used in several different ways without any conjugation.
1) As a noun:
Apprendre le japonais n’est pas facile. –> Learning Japanese isn’t easy.

2) After a conjugated verb:
J’aime danser. –> I like to dance.

3) In place of the imperative for impersonal commands:
Ajouter les oignons à la sauce. –> Add the onions to the sauce.

4) In place of the subjunctive, when the main clause has the same subject as the subordinate clause:
Il est content qu’il le fasse. = Il est content de le faire. –> He’s happy to be doing it.

5) In place of the subjunctive, when the main clause has an impersonal subject:
Il faut que vous travailliez. = Il faut travailler. –> It’s necessary to work (for you to work).

 

We will pick up with the infinitive in January, after the holidays!