The Personal Infinitive in Portuguese: A Clear Brazilian Guide
Portuguese can mark who performs an infinitive action, especially when the subject needs to be clear in a longer sentence.
Real Life Portuguese · 7 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
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.
Recognize when an infinitive has its own subject
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.
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.
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.
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.
Put it into practice
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.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Speak quietly so the children can sleep”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.