Nominalized Infinitive in Italian

Overview

In Italian, any infinitive verb can be used as a noun simply by placing an article before it: il mangiare (eating / the act of eating), il vivere (living / life). This is called the infinito sostantivato (nominalized infinitive), and it is far more common in Italian than the equivalent "-ing" noun is in English. It appears in everyday speech, proverbs, literature, and formal writing.

Beyond this noun-like use, infinitives also play crucial roles after prepositions: prima di partire (before leaving), dopo aver mangiato (after having eaten), per capire (in order to understand). These infinitive constructions replace entire subordinate clauses, making Italian more concise and elegant.

Mastering the nominalized infinitive and infinitive constructions with prepositions is a significant step toward more sophisticated Italian. These patterns appear everywhere — from signs and instructions to literature and conversation — and using them naturally is a hallmark of intermediate proficiency.

How It Works

Infinitive as a noun (with article)

The infinitive takes the masculine singular article and functions as a noun:

Infinitive noun	Translation	Example
il mangiare	eating / food	Il mangiare bene è importante.
il bere	drinking / drink	Il bere troppo fa male.
il dormire	sleeping / sleep	Il dormire è necessario.
il vivere	living / life	Il vivere in città è caro.
il sapere	knowledge	Il sapere è potere.

These infinitive nouns can be subjects, objects, or follow prepositions, just like any noun.

Infinitive after prepositions

Preposition	Meaning	Example	Translation
prima di	before	Prima di uscire, chiudi la porta.	Before going out, close the door.
dopo (+ compound)	after	Dopo aver mangiato, siamo usciti.	After eating, we went out.
per	in order to / for	Studio per imparare.	I study in order to learn.
senza	without	È uscito senza dire nulla.	He left without saying anything.
invece di	instead of	Invece di lamentarti, agisci!	Instead of complaining, act!
a	at / on (purpose)	A pensarci bene...	Thinking about it carefully...
da	to (purpose/quality)	Una cosa da fare.	A thing to do.
in	in/while	Nel dire questo, sorrise.	In saying this, she smiled.

Compound infinitive (dopo + past infinitive)

After dopo, use the compound infinitive (avere/essere + past participle):

Italian	English	Note
Dopo aver mangiato, ho studiato.	After eating, I studied.	avere + past participle
Dopo essere arrivata, ha chiamato.	After arriving, she called.	essere + past participle (agrees)
Dopo essersi vestiti, sono usciti.	After getting dressed, they went out.	Reflexive: essersi

With essere, the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Infinitive with subject

When the infinitive has its own subject different from the main clause, it is expressed after the infinitive:

Italian	English
Prima di partire Marco, abbiamo cenato.	Before Marco left, we had dinner.
Dopo essere arrivati gli ospiti, abbiamo iniziato.	After the guests arrived, we started.

Common fixed expressions with infinitive

Expression	Translation
a dire il vero	to tell the truth
per così dire	so to speak
a quanto pare	as it seems
per non parlare di	not to mention
senza dubbio (not infinitive but similar pattern)	without a doubt
a pensarci bene	thinking about it carefully

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Il viaggiare apre la mente.	Traveling opens the mind.	Infinitive as subject
Prima di rispondere, pensaci bene.	Before answering, think carefully.	prima di + infinitive
Dopo aver letto il libro, ho visto il film.	After reading the book, I watched the film.	Compound infinitive
È uscita senza salutare.	She left without saying goodbye.	senza + infinitive
Studio l'italiano per lavorare in Italia.	I study Italian to work in Italy.	per + infinitive (purpose)
Il sapere è potere.	Knowledge is power.	Famous proverb
Invece di aspettare, andiamo a piedi.	Instead of waiting, let's walk.	invece di + infinitive
Dopo essere tornati a casa, abbiamo cenato.	After returning home, we had dinner.	Compound with essere
A dire il vero, non mi piace molto.	To tell the truth, I don't like it much.	Fixed expression
C'è molto da fare oggi.	There's a lot to do today.	da + infinitive
Il mangiare italiano è famoso nel mondo.	Italian food/cuisine is famous worldwide.	Infinitive as noun
Senza sapere la verità, è difficile giudicare.	Without knowing the truth, it's hard to judge.	senza + infinitive

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the compound infinitive after "dopo"

• Wrong: Dopo mangiare, siamo usciti.
• Right: Dopo aver mangiato, siamo usciti.
• Why: "Dopo" requires the compound infinitive (avere/essere + past participle) because the action is completed before the main action. Simple infinitive after dopo is incorrect.

Using a conjugated verb instead of an infinitive after prepositions

• Wrong: Prima di esco, chiudo la finestra.
• Right: Prima di uscire, chiudo la finestra.
• Why: After prepositions (prima di, senza, per, invece di, etc.), Italian uses the infinitive, not a conjugated verb. A conjugated verb would require "che" and the subjunctive: "Prima che io esca..."

Forgetting participle agreement with essere in compound infinitive

• Wrong: Dopo essere arrivato, Maria ha chiamato. (Maria is feminine)
• Right: Dopo essere arrivata, Maria ha chiamato.
• Why: When the compound infinitive uses essere, the past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number.

Using the wrong article with nominalized infinitives

• Wrong: La mangiare troppo fa male.
• Right: Il mangiare troppo fa male.
• Why: Nominalized infinitives are always masculine singular, so they take the article il (or lo/l' depending on the initial letter).

Usage Notes

The nominalized infinitive is deeply embedded in Italian and appears across all registers. In everyday speech, you hear "il bello di vivere qui" (the beauty of living here) and "il problema del non sapere" (the problem of not knowing). In formal and literary Italian, it is even more prevalent.

Italian uses infinitive constructions where English would use a gerund ("-ing") or a full subordinate clause. "Prima di partire" is much more concise than the English subordinate clause "Before I leave." This conciseness is valued in Italian.

The compound infinitive (dopo aver fatto / dopo essere andato) is essential for expressing temporal sequences concisely. It is standard in both speech and writing. In casual speech, some speakers simplify to "dopo + simple infinitive" ("dopo mangiare"), but this is non-standard and should be avoided in writing.

Some nominalized infinitives have become permanent nouns: il potere (power), il dovere (duty), il sapere (knowledge), il piacere (pleasure), l'essere (being), l'avere (property/assets). These are listed in dictionaries as regular nouns.

Practice Tips

1. Replace English "-ing" with Italian infinitives: When you want to express "eating is good" or "running is fun," practice the Italian pattern: "Il mangiare fa bene," "Il correre è divertente." This builds the nominalized infinitive habit.
2. Practice the preposition + infinitive patterns: Create sentences with each preposition: "Prima di dormire, leggo. Dopo aver cenato, guardo la TV. Senza studiare, non imparo. Per migliorare, pratico."
3. Master the compound infinitive: Practice switching between avere and essere auxiliaries: "Dopo aver mangiato" (transitive), "Dopo essere partito/a" (intransitive with essere), "Dopo essersi svegliato/a" (reflexive).

Related Concepts

• Regular -ARE Verbs — the infinitive forms that become nouns
• Compound Infinitive — the past infinitive used after "dopo"
• Prepositions — the prepositions that precede infinitive constructions
• Present Perfect — the auxiliary selection (avere/essere) that applies to compound infinitives