Describes an action in a general way, not tied to a specific time or person.
The infinitive describes an action in a general way, without referring to a specific time or a specific person doing the action.
The letter ל means ‘to’ → like to eat, to go, to write.
to write → לִכְתֹּב
to go → לָלֶכֶת
to eat → לֶאֱכֹל
to hear → לִשְׁמֹעַ
This is the basic, fixed form of the verb.
The infinitive stays the same, no matter who is doing the action, or when.
The word ‘to read’ remains the same although the subject and tense change.
The first verb can be in past, present, future or imperative and agrees with the subject.
When one verb follows another and the first expresses desire/need/ability/feeling/beginning/ending, the second verb is typically in the infinitive.
Certain verbs are almost always followed by an infinitive: they express desire, need, ability, permission or feeling. The first verb is conjugated (tense + person) and the second stays in the fixed ל‑ form.
Common verbs: want, love, need, must, can, possible, forbidden, allowed, stop, start, continue, forget, remember.
The infinitive appears after particles of purpose, means or modality. Pattern: particle + infinitive.
‘Before / after’ usually take a full clause (לִפְנֵי שֶ… / אַחֲרֵי שֶ…) not a bare infinitive.
Each binyan has a predictable vowel pattern for the infinitive (root + template). Recognizing these helps guess meaning even without nikud.
Pa'al: לִכְתֹּב, לִלְמוֹד, לִשְׁמֹעַ
Nif'al: לְהִכָּנֵס, לְהִפָּתֵחַ, לְהֵעָשׂוֹת
Pi'el: לְדַבֵּר, לְשַׁחֵק, לְשַׁנּוֹת
Hif'il: לְהַסְבִּיר, לְהַתְחִיל, לְהַפְסִיק
Hitpa'el: לְהִסְתַּכֵּל, לְהִתְלַמֵּד, לְהִתְרַגֵּשׁ
Irregular: לָקוּם, לָשִׁיר, לָצוּם, לָבוֹא, לַעֲלוֹת
Many irregular forms use לָ‑ (qamatz) instead of לִ‑. Pay attention to the first vowel.
The infinitive is central for building complex sentences: verb chains, purpose, emotion, ability. Mastery enables faster reading and precise speech.
Tip: When stuck, look for ל + root; it often marks an infinitive.