infinitivi

Infinitivi, in linguistic terms, are the non-finite base forms of verbs that express action without specifying person, number, or tense. They function as words that name actions and can operate as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs within a sentence. In many languages, the infinitive serves as the dictionary form of a verb and is used to form or combine with other verb forms.

Different languages distinguish forms and uses of the infinitive in various ways. In English, the infinitive appears mainly in two shapes: the to-infinitive (to eat) and the bare infinitive (eat). The to-infinitive is used after many verbs and as a noun or purpose clause, while the bare infinitive follows modal verbs (can, must) and certain other verbs. English also has the perfect infinitive, to have eaten, which expresses a completed action relative to another event.

In Italian, infinitivi end in -are, -ere, or -ire (parlare, credere, dormire). They can function as nouns and appear in constructions with di to link to other verbs (mi piace mangiare). Italian also has a perfect infinitive: avere mangiato or essere andato, formed with avere or essere plus a past participle, to express actions completed before another moment.

Other languages feature similar concepts with varying terminology and morphology, including present and past infinitives, or infinitives combined with auxiliary particles such as zu in German or to in Romance languages. Overall, the infinitive provides a versatile, non-conjugated form used across subordinate clauses, expressions of purpose, and nominalizations in many linguistic traditions.