Infinitive clauses with the same subject

Infinitive clauses with the same subject in Italian

This guide explains how and when Italian uses infinitive clauses when the subject of the subordinate action is the same as the subject of the main clause. You will learn what the structure means, how to form it (present and past infinitive), which verbs and adjectives require di or a before the infinitive, how pronouns and negation behave, how this differs from che + subjunctive, and common mistakes to avoid. Examples are in Italian with English translations.

What does "same subject" mean?

Same subject means that the person or thing doing the action of the main verb also performs the action described by the infinitive. In English you often use to + verb in these cases (I want to eat = Voglio mangiare).

Examples where the subject is the same:
- Voglio mangiare ora - I want to eat now.
- Devo studiare per l'esame - I must study for the exam.
- Spero di trovare un lavoro - I hope to find a job.

Contrast with a different subject (use che + subjunctive or a/di + infinitive with object control):
- Voglio che tu venga - I want you to come (different subject: tu).
- Ho chiesto a Marco di venire - I asked Marco to come (Marco is the subject of the infinitive; different from the speaker).

Note: an infinitive does not always mean the subject is the same. Verbs like chiedere, dire, consigliare often combine with a + person + di + infinitive to show that the person asked or told performs the infinitive action.

When do I use an infinitive because the subject is the same?

Use the infinitive (with or without a preposition) when the action of the subordinate clause is performed by the same subject. Typical situations:
- After verbs of desire, preference and will when subject is the same: volere, preferire, desiderare, sperare (often with di), amare, odiare.
- After modal verbs of ability/necessity: potere, dovere.
- After sapere when it means know how: sapere + infinitive.
- After verbs of beginning/continuing/stopping: cominciare, iniziare, smettere, continuare (often with a or di depending on the verb).
- After adjectives/nouns and impersonal expressions that describe the subject: sono felice di, pronto a, è importante + infinitive.
- To express purpose with per + infinitive: Studio per imparare.

Keep in mind: whether you need no preposition, di, or a is lexical — it depends on the verb or adjective. Below are lists and examples.

How do I form infinitive clauses?

Simple present infinitive
The infinitive is the base verb ending in -are, -ere, -ire. Use it directly, or after a required preposition.
Examples:
- Voglio partire domani - I want to leave tomorrow.
- Posso venire più tardi - I can come later.
- Preferisco restare a casa - I prefer to stay at home.

Negation with the infinitive
If you negate the subordinate action, put non before the infinitive:
- Ho deciso di non andare - I decided not to go.
If you negate the main verb, put non before the conjugated verb:
- Non voglio andare - I do not want to go.

Object and reflexive pronouns with the infinitive
Pronouns can attach to the infinitive or appear before the conjugated verb. Both are correct; attaching is common in spoken Italian.
- Voglio vederlo or Lo voglio vedere - I want to see him.
- Devo svegliarmi presto or Mi devo svegliare presto - I must wake up early.

With compound infinitives (infinito passato), place the pronoun on the auxiliary infinitive if needed:
- Mi dispiace di non averlo chiamato - I am sorry for not having called him.
Here averlo is the auxiliary avere in infinitive plus the pronoun lo.

Past infinitive (infinito passato) to show anteriority
Form: avere or essere in the infinitive + past participle.
Use it when the infinitive action happened before the action of the main verb.
Examples:
- Sono felice di aver trovato il lavoro - I am happy to have found the job.
- Dopo essere arrivato, ho telefonato - After having arrived, I phoned. (male speaker: arrivato; female speaker would say arrivata)

Note on agreement: with essere + past participle, the participle agrees in gender/number with the subject of the infinitive when that subject is clear (Sono felice di essere tornato / tornata).

Common verbs and which preposition they take (di, a, or none)

No preposition (bare infinitive) - typical verbs
- volere: Voglio partire domani - I want to leave tomorrow.
- potere: Posso aiutarti - I can help you.
- dovere: Devo finire il lavoro - I must finish the work.
- sapere (know how): So nuotare - I know how to swim.
- preferire, amare, odiare: Preferisco leggere - I prefer to read; Mi piace cantare - I like to sing.

Verbs commonly followed by di + infinitive
- decidere di: Ho deciso di partire - I decided to leave.
- sperare di: Spero di vederti presto - I hope to see you soon.
- pensare di (meaning intend): Penso di andare in vacanza - I plan to go on holiday.
- cercare di: Cerco di studiare ogni giorno - I try to study every day.
- smettere di: Ho smesso di fumare - I stopped smoking.
- evitare di: Evito di rispondere - I avoid answering.
- ricordarsi di: Mi sono ricordato di chiamare - I remembered to call.
- pentirsi di: Mi pento di averlo fatto - I regret having done it.

Verbs commonly followed by a + infinitive
- cominciare a / iniziare a: Ho cominciato a leggere - I started reading.
- imparare a: Sto imparando a guidare - I am learning to drive.
- andare a (near future or movement): Vado a comprare il pane - I am going to buy bread.
- riuscire a: Riuscirà a finire in tempo - He will manage to finish on time.
- aiutare a (often used with a): Mi aiuti a portare le borse? - Can you help me carry the bags?
- abituarsi a: Mi sono abituato a vivere in città - I got used to living in the city.

Notes on verbs with variable patterns
- continuare a is common: Continua a leggere - Keep reading. Some verbs can take different prepositions with a change in meaning (e.g., finire di = finish, finire per + inf = end up doing).
- pensare a vs pensare di: Pensare a qualcuno = think about someone; Pensare di fare qualcosa = intend to do something.

Contrast with che + subjunctive and different-subject clauses

When the subject of the subordinate verb is different from the subject of the main clause, Italian often uses che + subjunctive after verbs of desire, request, emotion, doubt, command.

Examples:
- Voglio che tu venga - I want you to come (different subject, so che + subjunctive).
- Preferisco che lui resti - I prefer that he stay.
- Temo che non sia vero - I fear that it is not true.

Compare same-subject infinitive vs different-subject che + subjunctive:
- Voglio venire con voi - I want to come with you (I am the one who comes).
- Voglio che tu venga con noi - I want you to come with us (you are the one who comes).

Some verbs allow both infinitive and che + clause with a nuance in meaning or emphasis. For example:
- Penso di venire domani - I plan to come tomorrow (same subject: I).
- Penso che verrò domani - I think I will come tomorrow (full subordinate clause; subject still I but expressed differently).

Also, object-control verbs use di + infinitive to indicate that the object is the subject of the infinitive:
- Ho chiesto a Marco di venire - I asked Marco to come. (Marco is the subject of venire.)
- Ho chiesto che Marco venisse - I asked that Marco come (che + subjunctive alternative).

Common mistakes to avoid

- Using che + subjunctive when the subject is the same and the infinitive is the normal option.
Wrong: Voglio che io venga (rare/awkward) Correct: Voglio venire.

- Wrong preposition after verbs that require di or a.
Wrong: Ho deciso a partire. Correct: Ho deciso di partire.

- Incorrect pronoun placement.
Wrong: Voglio lo vedere. Correct: Lo voglio vedere or Voglio vederlo.

- Misplacing negation.
Wrong: Ho deciso non di andare. Correct: Ho deciso di non andare.

- Not matching gender in past infinitive with essere.
If a woman speaks: Sono felice di essere arrivata. A man would say arrivato.

Useful full-sentence examples by category

Want / can / must / know (same subject)
- Voglio tornare a casa - I want to go back home.
- Posso restare qui? - Can I stay here?
- Devo finire il lavoro stasera - I have to finish the work tonight.
- So suonare il pianoforte - I know how to play the piano.
- Mi piace correre al mattino - I like to run in the morning.

di + infinitive (common verbs and adjectives)
- Ho deciso di prenotare i biglietti - I decided to book the tickets.
- Cerco di studiare ogni giorno - I try to study every day.
- Ho smesso di fumare - I stopped smoking.
- Sono contento di vederti - I am happy to see you.
- Mi pento di averlo fatto - I regret having done it.

a + infinitive (begin, learn, go to, succeed)
- Ho cominciato a leggere questo romanzo - I started reading this novel.
- Sto imparando a cucinare - I am learning to cook.
- Andiamo a comprare il pane - We are going to buy bread.
- Riuscirà a risolvere il problema - He will be able to solve the problem.
- Mi aiuti a portare la valigia? - Can you help me carry the suitcase?

Purpose: per + infinitive
- Studio per imparare l italiano - I study to learn Italian.
- Lavoro per mantenere la mia famiglia - I work to support my family.

Past infinitive examples (infinito passato)
- Sono felice di aver trovato lavoro - I am happy to have found a job.
- Mi dispiace di essere arrivato tardi - I am sorry to have arrived late (male speaker).
- Dopo aver finito il lavoro, siamo usciti - After having finished the work, we went out.

Object-control example (different subject, but still infinitive with di)
- Ho detto a Lucia di chiamarmi - I told Lucia to call me (Lucia is the subject of chiamare).

Glossary

- Infinitive: the unconjugated verb form, e.g., mangiare, parlare, partire.
- Subordinate clause: the clause that depends on the main clause (here, the clause with the infinitive).
- Same subject: the subject of the main clause and of the infinitive clause is the same person or thing.
- Past infinitive / infinito passato: avere/essere in the infinitive + past participle, used to show a prior action.
- che + subjunctive: a clause introduced by che that often appears when the subordinate subject differs from the main subject and the meaning requires the subjunctive.
- di / a / per: prepositions commonly required before the infinitive depending on the main verb or adjective.

Quick summary

- When the subject of both verbs is the same, Italian frequently uses the infinitive (sometimes with di or a depending on the main verb). Example: Voglio partire / Devo studiare / Sono felice di venire.
- If the subject differs, use che + subjunctive after verbs of desire, emotion, request, etc., or use a/di constructions with object-control verbs. Example: Voglio che tu venga; Ho chiesto a Maria di venire.
- Learn common verb patterns: which verbs take di, which take a, and which take no preposition.
- Use the past infinitive to show anteriority and remember agreement after essere.
- Place non before the infinitive to negate the subordinate action, and attach pronouns to the infinitive or place them before the conjugated verb.

If you want, I can give a compact list of the most frequent verbs with their required preposition and extra example sentences organized for practice.