The infinitive is the basic, unconjugated form of a verb. In French, there are three main groups of infinitive endings:
-er such as manger (to eat).
-ir such as finir (to finish).
-re such as vendre (to sell)
The infinitive is usually translated in English as ‘to + verb’, but it can also be a verb without ‘to’, or a verb ending with ‘-ing’.
Je veux boire de l’eau. – I want to drink some water.
Tu peux ouvrir la fenêtre ? – Can you open the window?
Ils aiment lire. – They like reading.
Lots of common French verbs, used in any tenseThe verb formation that describes the time at which the action occurred, eg past, present or future., are followed immediately by an infinitive.
aimer
to like
J’aime aller à la plage. - I like going to the beach.
détester
to hate
Nous détestons ranger notre chambre. - We hate tidying our rooms.
préférer
to prefer to
Il préférerait étudier à la bibliothèque. - He would prefer to study at the library.
devoir
to have to
Vous devriez apprendre une nouvelle langue. - You should learn a new language.
pouvoir
to be able to
Elles peuvent partir en vacances si elles veulent. - They can go on holiday if they want.
aimer
to like
J’aime aller à la plage. - I like going to the beach.
détester
to hate
Nous détestons ranger notre chambre. - We hate tidying our rooms.
préférer
to prefer to
Il préférerait étudier à la bibliothèque. - He would prefer to study at the library.
devoir
to have to
Vous devriez apprendre une nouvelle langue. - You should learn a new language.
pouvoir
to be able to
Elles peuvent partir en vacances si elles veulent. - They can go on holiday if they want.
Infinitives can also be the subjectThe person or thing in the sentence that is doing the action. of a sentence, where in English a verb with ‘-ing’ would be used. For example:
Parler français est très utile. – Speaking French is very useful.
Manger des légumes est bon pour la santé. – Eating vegetables is good for your health.
