Infinitiivvormi

Infinitiivvormi, or the infinitive form, is a non-finite verb form that names an action or state without tying it to a specific subject, person, number, or time. It is often used as the dictionary or base form of a verb and can function as a noun within a sentence, referring to the action itself rather than a completed event tied to a subject.

Infinitives serve a wide range of functions. They can express the purpose of an action (I came to learn), act as the subject or object of a verb or adjective, or complete a complex predicate with auxiliary verbs. They are also used to form verbal nouns and participate in various periphrastic constructions that convey aspect, mood, or modality in different languages. In many languages the infinitive is not marked for tense or person.

Forms and usage vary across languages. English, for example, has a to-infinitive (to go) and a bare infinitive (go) used after certain verbs or in different syntactic contexts. Romance languages typically feature a single infinitive form with endings such as -are, -ere, or -ire in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Some languages, like Latin, distinguish multiple infinitive types (present active, perfect active, present passive, etc.) to express different aspects.

In Estonian grammar, the infinitive is called infinitiiv and is formed with endings such as -ma or -da. It functions as the base form for verbs, can occur without a grammatical subject, and is used after other verbs and in various subordinate constructs to express purposes, intentions, or generic statements.