The Animated Book
of SpanishGrammar Reference

Verb + Infinitive Combinations

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

English often uses a separate word for ideas like just, again, or usually. Spanish often uses a verb + an infinitive instead: Acabo de comer (I just ate), Vuelvo a llamar (I'll call again).

  • Acabo de llegar.

    I just arrived.

  • Suelo cenar a las nueve.

    I usually have dinner at nine.

  • No vuelvas a hacerlo.

    Don’t do it again.

On this page

Before, during, and after

Several of these follow an action from start to finish. Each one is a verb, often with a preposition, and then an infinitive.

  1. Before

    estar a punto deto be about to

    El tren está a punto de salir.

    The train is about to leave.

  2. The action

    empezar ato start

    Empecé a estudiar español el año pasado.

    I started studying Spanish last year.

  3. seguir + -andoto keep, to still be

    ¿Sigues trabajando en el banco?

    Are you still working at the bank?

  4. dejar deto stop

    Mi padre dejó de fumar.

    My dad stopped smoking.

  5. After

    acabar deto have just

    Acabamos de comer.

    We just ate.

Acabar de: just

Acabar de + an infinitive means something just happened. English uses the past (I just ate), but Spanish uses the present of acabar.

  • Acabo de ver a tu hermano.

    I just saw your brother.

  • ¿Acabas de despertarte?

    Did you just wake up?

  • Mis padres acaban de comprar una casa.

    My parents just bought a house.

In the imperfect, it means had just:

  • Acababa de salir cuando llamaste.

    I had just left when you called.

Volver a: again

Volver means to come back, but volver a + an infinitive means doing something again.

  • Te vuelvo a llamar en cinco minutos.

    I’ll call you back in five minutes.

  • Este verano volvimos a ir a México.

    This summer we went to Mexico again.

  • No vuelvas a hacer eso.

    Don’t ever do that again.

Soler: usually

Soler + an infinitive means to usually do something. It stem-changes like volver (suelo, sueles…), and it takes no preposition.

  1. Present: usually
    Suelo levantarme a las siete.

    I usually get up at seven.

    Imperfect: used to
    Solía levantarme a las seis.

    I used to get up at six.

  2. Present: usually
    Los sábados solemos comer fuera.

    On Saturdays we usually eat out.

    Imperfect: used to
    De niños, solíamos ir a la playa.

    As kids, we used to go to the beach.

More useful combinations

  • tardar ento take (time) to

    Tardé dos horas en llegar.

    It took me two hours to get there.

  • tratar deto try to

    Trato de no llegar tarde.

    I try not to be late.

  • aprender ato learn to

    Mi hija está aprendiendo a nadar.

    My daughter is learning to swim.

  • llegar ato manage to, to end up

    Nunca llegué a conocerlo.

    I never got to meet him.

  • quedar ento agree to

    Quedamos en vernos el lunes.

    We agreed to meet on Monday.

  • pensarto plan to

    ¿Piensas venir a la fiesta?

    Are you planning to come to the party?

  • saberto know how to

    ¿Sabes nadar?

    Do you know how to swim?

Where pronouns go

An object or reflexive pronoun can go before the whole combination or on the end of the infinitive. Both mean the same thing. More in direct object pronouns.

  1. Before
    Lo acabo de ver.
    On the end
    Acabo de verlo.

    I just saw him.

  2. Before
    Me suelo acostar tarde.
    On the end
    Suelo acostarme tarde.

    I usually go to bed late.

Common mistakes English speakers make

  1. Leaving out de

    Incorrect:Acabo llegar.
    Correct:Acabo de llegar.

    Just is acabar de.

  2. Leaving out a

    Incorrect:Vuelvo llamar mañana.
    Correct:Vuelvo a llamar mañana.

    Again is volver a.

  3. Adding a to soler

    Incorrect:Suelo a levantarme temprano.
    Correct:Suelo levantarme temprano.

    Soler takes the infinitive directly.

  4. Leaving out de after dejar

    Incorrect:Dejé fumar.
    Correct:Dejé de fumar.

    To stop doing is dejar de. Dejar + infinitive alone means to let: Déjame pasar (Let me through).

  5. Using para with tardar

    Incorrect:Tardé dos horas para llegar.
    Correct:Tardé dos horas en llegar.

    Tardar takes en.

  6. Using soler in the preterite

    Incorrect:Solí ir al gimnasio.
    Correct:Solía ir al gimnasio.

    Soler is only used in the present and the imperfect.

Questions about verb + infinitive combinations

What does acabar de mean?

"To have just" done something: Acabo de llegar ("I just arrived"). In the imperfect, it means "had just": Acababa de salir cuando llamaste ("I had just left when you called").

How do you say "again" with volver a?

Volver a + an infinitive means doing something again: Volví a llamar ("I called again"). No vuelvas a hacerlo means "Don't do it again." You can also use otra vez.

What does soler mean?

"To usually do" something: Suelo cenar a las nueve ("I usually have dinner at nine"). In the imperfect, it means "used to": Solíamos ir a la playa. It's only used in the present and the imperfect.

How do you say "stop doing" something in Spanish?

Dejar de + an infinitive: Dejé de fumar ("I stopped smoking"). No dejes de… means "be sure to": No dejes de visitarnos.

What is the difference between empezar a and ponerse a?

Both mean "to start." Ponerse a suggests starting suddenly or getting down to it: Se puso a llorar ("She burst into tears").

How do you say "it took me two hours" in Spanish?

With tardar en: Tardé dos horas en llegar ("It took me two hours to get there").

Next upNeed and obligationTener que, hay que, deber and debería, necesitar, hacer falta, and "don't have to" vs. "must not."

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