Verb Forms: The Infinitive
You've probably noticed that when you refer to verbs in English, the verb is prefaced by the word “to.” “To go,” “to be,” and “to speak” are examples. The “to” tells you that the verb is being used in a general sense, not tied to a particular subject. Because these verbs don't have a subject or object, they are said to be in the infinitive.
In French, the infinitive has its own form. As a matter of fact, you have likely already learned many infinitive French verbs. The infinitive in French is simply the unconjugated form of the verb you have probably already seen throughout the book. Listen to the CD for the pronunciation of the following infinitives.
TRACK 30
to have |
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to love |
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to be |
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to listen |
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to speak |
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to swim |
In general, when you use a verb, it will be in a conjugated form. But there is a common use of the infinitive: You will often see signs in French that use the construction
