infintivul

Infinitivul, sometimes rendered as infintivul in some texts, is the non-finite form of a verb that expresses an action in a general sense without specifying person, number, or tense. It is the base or dictionary form used to describe verbs in a neutral way and to build other verbal constructions.

In Romanian grammar, infinitivul is typically introduced by the particle a and appears in several main forms. The infinitivul prezent (present infinitive) gives the basic action: a vorbi (to speak), a merge (to go), a citi (to read). Romanian also has a infinitivul perfect (perfect infinitive), formed with a fi plus the past participle: a fi vorbit, a fi mers, a fi citit (to have spoken, to have gone, to have read). The present infinitive is more common in everyday usage, while the perfect infinitive is used to express completed action relative to another action.

The infinitivul is invariable for person and number and serves as a foundational form for dictionaries and conjugation. It is used to name actions, as a subject or object in noun-like constructions, and as a complement to other verbs, adjectives, or prepositions. Typical uses include after prepositions (for example, pentru a învăța, fără a vorbi), in clauses of purpose or intent, and in periphrastic phrases that express intention, possibility, or obligation.

Compared with finite verb forms, the infinitivul does not indicate time or subject. It functions as a versatile, non-personal verbal form that underpins many Romanian verbal constructions and conveys actions in a generalized sense.