The Personal Infinitive in Portuguese: A Clear Brazilian Guide — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Recognize when an infinitive has its own subject
An infinitive is the dictionary form of a verb, such as falar (to speak) or sair (to leave). Portuguese can add personal endings to an infinitive when it has a subject of its own. This is called the personal infinitive, and it can make the relationship between two actions clearer.
For a useful first comparison, notice the uninflected form after eu in a purpose phrase (“para eu estudar”) and the personal plural form after vocês (“para vocês estudarem”). The second ending signals who is doing the infinitive action.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| É importante estudar todos os dias. | It’s important to study every day. |
| É importante vocês estudarem todos os dias. | It’s important for you all to study every day. |
| Para eu chegar cedo, vou sair agora. | So that I can arrive early, I’m going to leave now. |
Learn the endings with a few subject pronouns
Regular personal infinitive endings are added to the infinitive: eu falar, você falar, nós falarmos, vocês falarem. The eu and você forms look like the uninflected infinitive in many regular verbs; the plural endings often make the subject distinction visible.
Irregular verbs may have different forms. Begin with regular examples and frequent phrases rather than trying to master every conjugation in one session. Subject context and the sentence structure also help listeners understand who is acting.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Antes de nós sairmos, vou fechar a janela. | Before we leave, I’m going to close the window. |
| Depois de eles terminarem, vamos conversar. | After they finish, we’re going to talk. |
| É melhor vocês reservarem uma mesa. | It’s better for you all to reserve a table. |
Use it when the subject relationship needs to be clear
The personal infinitive is especially useful after a preposition when the infinitive’s subject differs from the main clause, or when you want to name that subject clearly. Compare “antes de sair” (before leaving; subject inferred from context) with “antes de vocês saírem” (before you all leave).
Not every infinitive needs a personal ending, and grammar choices can depend on meaning, rhythm, and style. Use a full personal form when it clarifies the subject, then notice what Brazilian speakers use in comparable sentences.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Fale baixo para as crianças dormirem. | Speak quietly so the children can sleep. |
| Ao chegarmos, mandamos uma mensagem. | When we arrive, we’ll send a message. |
| Sem você saber, organizei uma surpresa. | Without you knowing, I organized a surprise. |
Remember: Make one sentence with para eu + infinitive and one with para vocês + personal infinitive. Bring a sentence from your own reading to I Speak Portuguese for feedback, and use Real Life Portuguese examples to hear full clauses in context.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
It’s important to study every day.
Show a Portuguese answer
É importante estudar todos os dias.
It’s important for you all to study every day.
Show a Portuguese answer
É importante vocês estudarem todos os dias.
So that I can arrive early, I’m going to leave now.
Show a Portuguese answer
Para eu chegar cedo, vou sair agora.
Before we leave, I’m going to close the window.
Show a Portuguese answer
Antes de nós sairmos, vou fechar a janela.
After they finish, we’re going to talk.
Show a Portuguese answer
Depois de eles terminarem, vamos conversar.
It’s better for you all to reserve a table.
Show a Portuguese answer
É melhor vocês reservarem uma mesa.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Make one sentence with para eu + infinitive and one with para vocês + personal infinitive. Bring a sentence from your own reading to I Speak Portuguese for feedback, and use Real Life Portuguese examples to hear full clauses in context.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our The Personal Infinitive in Portuguese: A Clear Brazilian Guide lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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