Introduction
One of the most challenging aspects of learning Spanish is understanding when and how to use infinitives after prepositions. Unlike English, where gerunds often follow prepositions, Spanish consistently uses the infinitive form. This fundamental grammatical pattern appears in everyday conversation, formal writing, and everything in between, making it essential for learners to master.
Understanding the Basic Rule
The infinitive after prepositions rule in Spanish is remarkably straightforward: whenever a verb follows a preposition, it must be in the infinitive form. This differs significantly from English, where we typically use the gerund (the -ing form). For example, while English speakers say before leaving, Spanish speakers say antes de salir, using the infinitive rather than a gerund-like form.
This pattern holds true across all prepositions in Spanish. Whether you’re using para (for), sin (without), de (of/from), a (to), or any other preposition, the verb that follows must remain in its infinitive form. There are no exceptions to this rule, which actually makes it easier to remember once you understand the pattern.
Common Prepositions That Require Infinitives
Para (For, In Order To)
The preposition para expresses purpose or intention and is one of the most frequently used with infinitives. When you want to explain why you’re doing something, para followed by an infinitive is your go-to construction.
Examples:
Estudio español para comunicarme mejor. (I study Spanish in order to communicate better.)
Necesito dinero para comprar un coche. (I need money to buy a car.)
Ella trabaja duro para alcanzar sus metas. (She works hard to achieve her goals.)
Notice how English might use to or in order to before the verb, but Spanish consistently uses para with the infinitive. This construction is natural and common in everyday Spanish conversation.
Sin (Without)
The preposition sin meaning without always takes an infinitive when followed by a verb. This is particularly different from English, where we would use the gerund form.
Examples:
Salió sin decir adiós. (He left without saying goodbye.)
No puedo vivir sin escuchar música. (I can’t live without listening to music.)
Ella terminó el proyecto sin pedir ayuda. (She finished the project without asking for help.)
The contrast with English is striking here. While English speakers say without saying, Spanish speakers use sin decir. This is one of the clearest examples of why direct translation doesn’t work between these languages.
Antes de (Before) and Después de (After)
These temporal prepositions are essential for discussing sequences of events. Both antes de and después de require infinitives when followed by verbs.
Examples:
Antes de comer, siempre me lavo las manos. (Before eating, I always wash my hands.)
Después de estudiar, voy al gimnasio. (After studying, I go to the gym.)
Llámame antes de salir de casa. (Call me before leaving the house.)
Después de terminar el trabajo, podemos cenar. (After finishing work, we can have dinner.)
These constructions are extremely common in daily conversation. Spanish learners often make the mistake of trying to conjugate the verb after these prepositions, but the infinitive is always correct.
A (To, At)
The preposition a appears in many contexts, and when followed by a verb, it takes the infinitive form. This preposition is particularly common with verbs of motion and learning.
Examples:
Voy a estudiar esta noche. (I’m going to study tonight.)
Ella aprendió a nadar el año pasado. (She learned to swim last year.)
Comenzamos a trabajar a las ocho. (We begin to work at eight.)
Ayúdame a entender este concepto. (Help me to understand this concept.)
The construction ir a plus infinitive is especially important because it forms the immediate future tense in Spanish, one of the most commonly used verb constructions.
De (Of, From, About)
The versatile preposition de combines with infinitives in numerous expressions. This preposition can indicate origin, possession, or relation, and it frequently appears before verbs.
Examples:
Acabo de llegar a casa. (I just arrived home.)
Trata de ser más paciente. (Try to be more patient.)
Me cansé de esperar. (I got tired of waiting.)
Antes de dormir, leo un poco. (Before sleeping, I read a little.)
The expression acabar de plus infinitive is particularly useful for expressing something you just finished doing, equivalent to the English just did something.
Special Cases and Important Expressions
Al Plus Infinitive
One special construction in Spanish combines the preposition a with the article el to form al, which when followed by an infinitive means upon doing something or when doing something. This construction is quite elegant and frequently used.
Examples:
Al entrar, vi a mi amigo. (Upon entering, I saw my friend.)
Al escuchar la noticia, me puse feliz. (When I heard the news, I became happy.)
Al terminar de comer, pagamos la cuenta. (Upon finishing eating, we paid the bill.)
This construction doesn’t have a perfect equivalent in English, which is why translations can vary. However, it’s a very natural way to express simultaneous or immediately sequential actions in Spanish.
Por (For, By, Through)
The preposition por expresses cause, means, or exchange, and it also requires the infinitive form when followed by a verb.
Examples:
Gracias por venir a mi fiesta. (Thank you for coming to my party.)
Me castigaron por llegar tarde. (They punished me for arriving late.)
Por no estudiar, suspendí el examen. (For not studying, I failed the exam.)
Empecemos por revisar las reglas. (Let’s start by reviewing the rules.)
The distinction between por and para is notoriously difficult for learners, but both consistently take infinitives, which at least simplifies one aspect of using them.
Verbs That Require Prepositions Before Infinitives
Many Spanish verbs require specific prepositions before an infinitive. Learning these combinations is crucial for natural-sounding Spanish. Unlike English, where verbs often directly connect to infinitives, Spanish frequently inserts a preposition.
Verbs with A
Several common verbs require the preposition a before an infinitive:
Examples:
Empezar a (to begin to): Empecé a correr todos los días. (I began to run every day.)
Aprender a (to learn to): Mi hijo aprendió a leer rápidamente. (My son learned to read quickly.)
Enseñar a (to teach to): Mi abuela me enseñó a cocinar. (My grandmother taught me to cook.)
Ayudar a (to help to): ¿Puedes ayudarme a mover esta mesa? (Can you help me move this table?)
Invitar a (to invite to): Nos invitaron a cenar en su casa. (They invited us to have dinner at their house.)
Verbs with De
Other verbs pair with the preposition de before infinitives:
Examples:
Acabar de (to have just): Acabo de ver esa película. (I just saw that movie.)
Tratar de (to try to): Trato de hacer ejercicio cada día. (I try to exercise every day.)
Dejar de (to stop doing): Dejé de fumar hace dos años. (I stopped smoking two years ago.)
Olvidarse de (to forget to): Me olvidé de llamarte ayer. (I forgot to call you yesterday.)
Acordarse de (to remember to): No me acordé de comprar leche. (I didn’t remember to buy milk.)
Verbs with En
Some verbs require en before an infinitive:
Examples:
Pensar en (to think about): Pienso en viajar a España. (I’m thinking about traveling to Spain.)
Insistir en (to insist on): Ella insistió en pagar la cuenta. (She insisted on paying the bill.)
Tardar en (to take time to): Tardé dos horas en terminar. (I took two hours to finish.)
Quedar en (to agree to): Quedamos en vernos mañana. (We agreed to see each other tomorrow.)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
English speakers commonly make certain errors when learning to use infinitives after prepositions in Spanish. Being aware of these pitfalls can help you avoid them.
Using Gerunds Instead of Infinitives
The most frequent mistake is transferring the English pattern of using gerunds after prepositions. Remember that Spanish never uses the gerund (the -ando/-iendo form) after prepositions.
Incorrect: Salí sin diciendo adiós.
Correct: Salí sin decir adiós. (I left without saying goodbye.)
Incorrect: Antes de comiendo, lavé los platos.
Correct: Antes de comer, lavé los platos. (Before eating, I washed the dishes.)
Forgetting the Preposition
Another common error is omitting the required preposition before an infinitive, especially with verbs that need specific prepositions in Spanish but not in English.
Incorrect: Empecé estudiar español.
Correct: Empecé a estudiar español. (I began to study Spanish.)
Incorrect: Traté resolver el problema.
Correct: Traté de resolver el problema. (I tried to solve the problem.)
Conjugating After Prepositions
Some learners mistakenly conjugate the verb that follows a preposition. Remember, the verb after a preposition must always be in infinitive form.
Incorrect: Salí sin dije adiós.
Correct: Salí sin decir adiós. (I left without saying goodbye.)
Incorrect: Antes de comí, me lavé las manos.
Correct: Antes de comer, me lavé las manos. (Before eating, I washed my hands.)
Practice Strategies for Mastery
Mastering the use of infinitives after prepositions requires consistent practice and exposure. Here are effective strategies to help internalize these patterns.
Create Your Own Example Sentences
Rather than just memorizing examples, create sentences about your own life using different prepositions with infinitives. This personal connection makes the grammar more memorable and applicable to real-world situations.
Try writing five sentences about your daily routine using prepositions like antes de, después de, para, and sin. For example: Antes de salir de casa, siempre tomo café. (Before leaving the house, I always drink coffee.)
Listen for Patterns
When watching Spanish-language content or listening to podcasts, pay special attention to preposition plus infinitive combinations. Notice how naturally native speakers use these constructions. You’ll begin to hear these patterns everywhere once you start listening for them.
Verb and Preposition Lists
Create flashcards or lists pairing verbs with their required prepositions. Focus on the most common combinations first, such as empezar a, tratar de, dejar de, and acabar de. Review these regularly until the pairings become automatic.
Translation Exercises
Practice translating English sentences with gerunds after prepositions into Spanish. This helps you consciously break the habit of direct translation and trains your brain to automatically use infinitives instead.
Cultural and Stylistic Considerations
Understanding when and how to use infinitives after prepositions isn’t just about grammar—it’s also about sounding natural and appropriate in different contexts.
Formal vs. Informal Usage
The rule about using infinitives after prepositions applies equally in formal and informal Spanish. However, certain preposition plus infinitive combinations are more common in formal writing, while others appear more frequently in casual conversation.
For instance, the construction al plus infinitive appears frequently in formal writing and news reports: Al iniciar la sesión, el presidente dio un discurso. (Upon beginning the session, the president gave a speech.) In casual conversation, speakers might express the same idea differently, though the grammar remains the same.
Regional Variations
While the basic rule of using infinitives after prepositions is consistent across all Spanish-speaking regions, certain expressions and verb-preposition combinations may be more common in some areas than others. For example, the expression terminar de plus infinitive is more commonly used in Spain, while Latin American speakers might prefer acabar de in certain contexts.
Advanced Applications
Multiple Infinitives in Sequence
Sometimes you’ll need to use multiple infinitives in a single sentence, each following its own preposition or verb. These more complex constructions follow the same rules.
Examples:
Necesito terminar de estudiar para poder salir a divertirme. (I need to finish studying to be able to go out and have fun.)
Dejé de tratar de convencerlo porque no quería seguir perdiendo el tiempo. (I stopped trying to convince him because I didn’t want to keep wasting time.)
Infinitives with Object Pronouns
When using infinitives after prepositions, object pronouns can be attached to the end of the infinitive or placed before the conjugated verb. This flexibility allows for stylistic variation while maintaining grammatical correctness.
Examples:
Antes de verla, compré flores. / Antes de la ver, compré flores. (Before seeing her, I bought flowers.)
Para hacerlo bien, necesitas práctica. / Para lo hacer bien, necesitas práctica. (To do it well, you need practice.)
Note that in modern Spanish, the first option (attaching the pronoun to the infinitive) is generally more common and natural-sounding.
Conclusion
Mastering the use of infinitives after prepositions in Spanish is a crucial step in developing fluency. While the rule itself is straightforward—always use the infinitive form after any preposition—applying it consistently requires practice and attention. By understanding common preposition patterns, learning which verbs require specific prepositions, and avoiding typical mistakes, you’ll sound more natural and confident in your Spanish communication. Remember that this grammatical pattern appears constantly in everyday Spanish, so consistent exposure and practice will make it second nature.
