The Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal) is both unique to Portuguese and quite common. There’s really no equivalent in other languages, which is why learners often struggle to wrap their heads around it.

We use the Personal Infinitive in a few structures and subordinate clauses, namely concessive, final, and conditional clauses.

A related and frequently asked question is the difference between Personal and Impersonal Infinitives (the Impersonal Infinitive being what people usually mean when they just say “Infinitive”).

In short, the Personal Infinitive is a conjugated version of the Impersonal Infinitive. While the Impersonal Infinitive represents the abstract idea of the verb—detached from tense, mood, or person—the Personal Infinitive uses verb endings to reveal the subject.

Put another way, the Personal Infinitive makes the verb less abstract. Read on.

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Se me contarem…

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Até arranjar um emprego

Fill in the blanks with the verbs in the Personal Infinitive.

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Conjugating the Personal Infinitive in Portuguese

Conjugating the Personal Infinitive is straightforward. You take the base Infinitive form (the Impersonal Infinitive) and add a few endings—specifically for the second person singular and all plural forms.

These endings are consistent regardless of verb group (-ar, -er, -ir), or whether the verb is regular or irregular.

Let’s look at three regular verbs:

💡 For regular verbs, the Personal Infinitive looks exactly like the Future Subjunctive. But that’s not the case with irregular verbs.

Learn more about the Portuguese Future Subjunctive.

Here are three irregular verbs conjugated the same way:

When to use the Personal Infinitive in Portuguese

We use the Personal Infinitive mostly in complex sentences, typically inside a subordinate clause following a linking word or phrase. Below are the key structures, each with examples.

Impersonal structures

We often use the Personal Infinitive in this pattern: 

é + adjective + personal infinitive

Here are a couple of examples: 

É importante (tu) ficares em casa a descansar.
It’s important for you to stay at home and rest.

É imprudente (nós) irmos à rua com este tempo.
It’s unwise for us to go out in this weather. 

É provável (eles) chegarem depois das 15h.
They’re likely to arrive after 3 p.m.

Concessive clauses 

We use the Personal Infinitive after apesar de:

Tu nunca engordas apesar de (tu) comeres tanto.
You never gain weight even if you eat so much.

Nós vamos ao Japão apesar de (nós) termos medo de voar.
We are going to Japan even though we are afraid of flying.

💡 Concessive clauses show contrast or unexpected results—they acknowledge something that might go against the main idea but doesn’t stop it from happening. It’s introduced by words like although, even though, though, while, or whereas.

Time clauses

We use the Personal Infinitive in time clauses, especially following expressions like até, antes de, and depois de:

Não te dou outro livro até (tu) terminares de ler esse.
I won’t give you another book until you finish that one.

Lava os dentes antes de (tu) ires para a cama.
Brush your teeth before going to bed.

Ligue-me depois de (vocês) falarem com o Paulo.
Call me after you speak with Paulo.

💡A time clause is a part of a sentence that indicates when something happens, usually introduced by conjunctions like when, before, after, while, as soon as, or until. 

Conditional clauses

We use the Personal Infinitive in conditional clauses, especially when they are introduced by sem:

Não recebem prenda nenhuma sem se (vocês) portarem bem.
You won’t get any gifts unless you behave.

Não saio daqui sem me (tu) pagares o que me deves.
I’m not leaving until you pay me back.

💡 A conditional clause expresses a condition—something that must happen (or not happen) for something else to occur. It’s introduced by words like if, unless, provided that, or as long as.

Completive clauses 

We often use the Personal Infinitive in completive clauses:

Nós acreditamos (tu) estares a fazer o melhor que podes.
We believe you are doing all you can.

Eu lamento vocês pensarem dessa forma!
I am sorry you feel that way!

Here are a few more examples of the Personal Infinitive in completive clauses introduced by de, para, and em:

Não tenho ideia de (nós) termos ido visitar o teu tio
I don’t recall us going to visit your uncle.

Eu pedi-te para (tu) fazeres pouco barulho.
I asked you to be quiet.

Pensei em irmos os dois ao Brasil.
I thought we could both go to Brazil.

💡 A completive clause is a type of subordinate clause that completes the meaning of the verb, adjective, or noun it’s connected to—especially when it involves mental or communicative actions like thinking, believing, saying, or knowing. It is usually introduced by that.

Causal clauses

Typically introduced by por, dado, or visto:

Ficas em casa por (tu) te teres portado mal!
You’re staying home because you misbehaved!

As crianças não foram para a escola  dado (elas) estarem doentes.
The kids didn’t go to school since they were sick.

Eu tenho medo de sair à rua visto existirem tantos roubos.
I’m afraid to go outside with so many robberies happening.

💡 A causal clause explains the reason or cause behind an action or situation. It tells us why something happens, and it’s commonly introduced by words like because, since, or as. These clauses provide the motivation, justification, or background for the main clause.

Final clauses

Let’s end with final clauses—fitting, right?

We use the Personal Infinitive in final clauses, especially those introduced by para and a fim de:

Tens de descansar mais a fim de (tu) recuperares.
You need to rest more for you to recover.

Está aqui o texto para (tu) reveres.
Here’s the text for you to revise.

💡 A final clause expresses the purpose or goal of an action. It tells us why something is done or what the intention is, and it’s commonly introduced by words like so that, in order that, or just so.