Nominalized Infinitive in Italian

In Brief

An Italian infinitive—the dictionary form of a verb, such as fare “to do”—can fill the role of a noun: Il sapere è potere (“Knowledge is power”). Infinitives also follow common prepositional patterns: prima di partire (“before leaving”), dopo aver mangiato (“after eating”), and per imparare (“in order to learn”). The infinitive usually has an unstated subject understood from the surrounding sentence.

Overview

A nominalized infinitive is an infinitive used like a noun: it names an action, activity, or idea rather than presenting that action as a conjugated verb. In Leggere mi rilassa (“Reading relaxes me”), leggere is the subject—the thing that relaxes the speaker. In Amo viaggiare (“I love travelling”), viaggiare is the object of amo—the thing loved. An object is simply the person or thing affected by, wanted by, or involved in the verb.

Italian uses infinitives this way very freely. English often uses an -ing form where Italian uses the dictionary form: nuotare may mean “to swim” or “swimming,” depending on its role. English-speaking learners therefore should not try to create an Italian equivalent of English -ing every time. The ordinary Italian infinitive often does the work.

At B1, the most useful patterns are the infinitive as a subject or abstract noun, and the combinations prima di + infinitive, dopo + compound infinitive, and per + infinitive. These let you connect events without building a second fully conjugated clause. Their compactness makes them common in conversation, instructions, journalism, and formal writing.

How It Works

The infinitive as a subject or object

The infinitive keeps its verb meaning, but the entire action occupies a position normally occupied by a noun.

Role	Pattern	Example	Meaning
Subject	infinitive + verb	Camminare fa bene.	Walking is good for you.
Object	conjugated verb + infinitive	Preferisco aspettare.	I prefer to wait.
After a preposition	preposition + infinitive	Senza parlare, uscì.	Without speaking, he/she left.
Named abstract activity	article + infinitive	Il viaggiare lento	slow travel / the practice of travelling slowly

When an infinitive is treated explicitly as a noun, it is grammatically masculine singular. It can take il before most consonants and l’ before a vowel: il sapere, il vivere, l’essere, l’avere. Any adjective describing it normally agrees in the masculine singular: il quieto vivere (“a quiet life”), questo continuo parlare (“this constant talking”).

However, an article is not automatically required. Compare:

• Leggere è importante. — “Reading is important.” The activity is stated neutrally.
• Il leggere ad alta voce è utile. — “Reading aloud is useful.” The article makes the activity more explicitly noun-like and can sound more reflective, formal, or analytical.

With everyday activities, the article-free version is often the more natural choice. Fixed or abstract expressions such as il sapere (“knowledge”), il potere (“power”), il dovere (“duty”), and il piacere (“pleasure”) are common lexicalized uses: they behave very much like ordinary nouns and may have meanings that are not merely “the act of knowing/being able/having to/pleasing.”

Understanding the unstated subject

An infinitive has no person ending, so its subject is usually inferred. In many prepositional phrases, that subject is the same as the subject of the main verb:

• Prima di uscire, Marco chiude le finestre. — Marco leaves; Marco closes the windows.
• Studio per superare l’esame. — I study; I intend to pass.

If the two actions have different subjects, Italian usually prefers a finite clause—a clause with a conjugated verb:

• Prima che Marco uscisse, Anna gli telefonò. — “Before Marco left, Anna called him.”
• Studio perché mio figlio possa avere più opportunità. — “I study so that my son can have more opportunities.”

This same-subject principle is a central guide, although context and more advanced constructions can sometimes identify a separate subject explicitly.

Prima di + simple infinitive

Use prima di + infinitive for an action that happens after the main action or serves as its time boundary:

• Laviamoci le mani prima di mangiare. — “Let’s wash our hands before eating.”
• Prima di rispondere, pensaci. — “Before answering, think about it.”

The infinitive itself has no tense here. Prima di supplies the time relationship.

Dopo + compound infinitive

To show that the infinitive action was completed before the main action, use the compound infinitive: avere/essere + past participle. A past participle is the form used in compound tenses, such as mangiato, partito, or svegliato.

Auxiliary	Pattern	Example
avere	dopo aver + past participle	Dopo aver finito, ho riposato.
essere	dopo essere + past participle	Dopo essere arrivata, Marta ha chiamato.
reflexive verb	dopo essersi + past participle	Dopo essersi vestito, Luca è uscito.

Use the same auxiliary that the verb takes in a compound tense. With essere, the participle agrees with the understood subject: dopo essere arrivato for a masculine singular subject, arrivata for feminine singular, arrivati or arrivate for plural subjects.

Per + infinitive for purpose

Use per + infinitive to state the purpose of an action—what someone does something in order to achieve:

• Vado in Italia per studiare. — “I’m going to Italy to study.”
• Ha chiamato per chiedere aiuto. — “She called to ask for help.”

English often uses plain “to,” but Italian requires per in this purpose pattern. Not every English “to + verb” expresses purpose: after verbs such as volere, potere, and dovere, use the infinitive directly (voglio partire), not per partire.

Negation and attached pronouns

Put non immediately before the infinitive: per non dimenticare (“so as not to forget”), il non sapere (“not knowing”). Unstressed object or reflexive pronouns normally attach to the end of an infinitive, whose final -e is dropped: farlo (“to do it”), dirti (“to tell you”), alzarsi (“to get up”).

In compound forms, pronouns attach to avere or essere: dopo averlo visto (“after seeing it”), dopo essersi alzata (“after getting up”). Combinations such as il non dirlo (“not saying it”) show that the construction remains verbal inside even while the whole phrase acts like a noun.

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Il sapere è potere.	Knowledge is power.	Two established abstract nouns from infinitives.
Leggere prima di dormire mi rilassa.	Reading before going to sleep relaxes me.	Leggere is the subject; prima di dormire marks time.
Sbagliare è umano.	To err is human.	Article-free infinitive as subject.
Il suo continuo lamentarsi stanca tutti.	His constant complaining tires everyone.	Article and adjective make the reflexive infinitive strongly noun-like.
Preferiamo viaggiare in treno.	We prefer travelling by train.	Infinitive as the object of preferiamo.
Prima di partire, chiamami.	Before leaving, call me.	The person leaving should also be the person called on to act.
Controlla l’indirizzo prima di inviare il pacco.	Check the address before sending the parcel.	Same understood subject for both actions.
Dopo aver mangiato, siamo usciti.	After eating, we went out.	Completed earlier action with avere.
Dopo essere arrivata a casa, Giulia si è addormentata.	After arriving home, Giulia fell asleep.	Arrivata agrees with Giulia.
Dopo essersi lavati le mani, i bambini si sono seduti.	After washing their hands, the children sat down.	Reflexive compound infinitive; masculine/mixed plural agreement.
Studio per imparare, non solo per superare l’esame.	I study to learn, not only to pass the exam.	Two purpose phrases.
Ho scritto tutto per non dimenticare nulla.	I wrote everything down so as not to forget anything.	Non precedes the infinitive.
Grazie per avermi aiutato.	Thank you for helping me.	Pronoun attached to aver; earlier completed help.
Il non dirlo subito è stato un errore.	Not saying it immediately was a mistake.	Negated infinitive phrase used as the subject.

Common Mistakes

Copying the English -ing form

• Wrong: Leggendo è importante.
• Right: Leggere è importante.
• Why: Leggendo is a gerund, a form mainly used to describe an accompanying action (“while reading” or “by reading”). To name the activity, Italian normally uses the infinitive.

Omitting di after prima

• Wrong: Prima partire, chiudi la porta.
• Right: Prima di partire, chiudi la porta.
• Why: Before an infinitive, the complete connector is prima di.

Using a simple infinitive after dopo for a completed event

• Wrong: Dopo mangiare, siamo usciti.
• Right: Dopo aver mangiato, siamo usciti.
• Why: Standard Italian uses the compound infinitive to present the eating as completed before the departure.

Choosing the wrong auxiliary or agreement

• Wrong: Dopo aver arrivata, Maria ha telefonato.
• Right: Dopo essere arrivata, Maria ha telefonato.
• Why: Arrivare takes essere, and arrivata agrees with Maria.

Giving the infinitive phrase the wrong understood subject

• Wrong: Prima di partire Marco, Anna gli ha telefonato.
• Right: Prima che Marco partisse, Anna gli ha telefonato.
• Why: A basic prima di + infinitive phrase normally shares its subject with the main clause. Use prima che plus a conjugated verb when the subjects differ.

Adding per after verbs that take a direct infinitive

• Wrong: Voglio per imparare l’italiano.
• Right: Voglio imparare l’italiano.
• Why: Per + infinitive expresses purpose after an action such as studying, travelling, or calling. Volere already takes a direct infinitive.

Usage Notes

The article changes emphasis and register. Camminare fa bene is an ordinary statement about walking; il camminare presents walking as a defined practice or topic and can sound formal. Italian essays, criticism, and reflective prose use article + infinitive more readily than casual conversation. In speech, speakers often choose an ordinary noun instead: il modo di parlare may sound more natural than il parlare when they mean someone’s manner of speaking.

Some forms have become independent nouns. Il piacere can mean “pleasure,” il dovere “duty,” il potere “power,” and l’essere “being.” Their plural forms, where used, belong to the nouns rather than to a freely nominalized verb: i piaceri della vita (“life’s pleasures”), i doveri del cittadino (“a citizen’s duties”), i poteri dello Stato (“the powers of the state”). Do not assume that every infinitive can be pluralized this way.

Purpose per + infinitive is neutral in both speech and writing. Prima di + infinitive is equally common. The compound form after dopo can feel longer to an English speaker, but it is normal Italian, not unusually formal.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

The infinitive can carry its own complements—the words completing its meaning—just like a verb. In il desiderio di conoscere meglio la città, conoscere has the object la città and the adverb meglio. In il continuo parlare dei suoi problemi, the phrase dei suoi problemi completes parlare. This “verb inside, noun phrase outside” behavior explains why attached pronouns and negation remain possible.

A compound infinitive may itself function as a noun phrase: L’aver rifiutato l’offerta lo preoccupava (“Having refused the offer worried him”). This construction is compact and common in formal or literary prose. In everyday speech, a finite clause is often easier: Il fatto che avesse rifiutato l’offerta lo preoccupava (“The fact that he had refused the offer worried him”).

Advanced Italian can also state an infinitive’s subject explicitly, especially in formal prose: prima di partire Marco (“before Marco leaves/leaves”), where Marco follows the infinitive. This is grammatical in suitable contexts, but B1 learners should not rely on it: prima che Marco parta/partisse is usually clearer when the subjects differ. The tense of the subjunctive depends on the time frame of the main clause.

Finally, distinguish a verbal infinitive from a fully lexicalized noun. Sapere la risposta è utile means “Knowing the answer is useful,” and sapere still takes a direct object. In un sapere antico (“an ancient body of knowledge”), sapere is an ordinary noun modified by an adjective and no longer describes one person’s act of knowing.

Practice Tips

1. Take five everyday verbs and make three versions of each: a subject (Cucinare mi piace), a time phrase (prima di cucinare), and a purpose phrase (compro gli ingredienti per cucinare).
2. Build short timelines with prima di and dopo aver/essere. Say which event happens first, then check the auxiliary and—when using essere—the participle agreement.
3. While reading Italian, mark article + infinitive forms. Ask whether each is a freely named activity (il parlare troppo) or an established noun with its own meaning (il potere).

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Regular -ARE Verbs — review how Italian infinitives are formed and recognized.
• Next step: Compound Infinitive — study aver fatto, essere partito, agreement, and earlier completed actions in greater depth.