ayudarte

Ayudarte is the infinitive form of the Spanish verb phrase ayudar with the second-person singular clitic te attached, used to indicate that the action of helping is directed at you. It translates to “to help you” in English. The clitic te attaches to the infinitive and is employed in constructions with auxiliary verbs, modal verbs, or prepositions, such as Voy a ayudarte (I am going to help you), Quiero ayudarte (I want to help you), or Antes de ayudarte (Before helping you).

Etymology and form: ayuda is the stem of ayudar, meaning “to help,” and te is the informal object pronoun meaning “you.” When combined into ayudarte, the pronoun specifies the recipient of the action. This clitic-attached infinitive is a common feature of Spanish grammar and appears across dialects.

Usage notes: Ayudarte is widely used in both European and Latin American varieties. It typically occurs in sentences with verbs like poder, querer, necesitar, or deber: Puedo ayudarte, Quiero ayudarte, Necesito ayudarte. It can also appear in infinitive clauses after prepositions, as in Antes de ayudarte. While it is primarily a grammatical form, context can determine emphasis or immediacy in speech.

See also: Spanish pronouns, verb phrases with clitics, ayudar.