--- title: "Infinitive Form in Elementary Latin" description: "Infinitive Form in Elementary Latin is the verb’s base form, usually ending in -āre for first conjugation, like amāre, and it anchors conjugation patterns." canonical: "https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/infinitive-form" type: "key-term" subject: "Elementary Latin" unit: "Unit 3" --- # Infinitive Form in Elementary Latin ## Definition Infinitive form is the Latin verb’s base form, the one that usually means “to + verb,” like amāre, “to love.” In Elementary Latin, first conjugation infinitives end in -āre. ## What It Is Infinitive form is the dictionary form of a Latin verb, and in Elementary Latin it is usually the first form you learn before you start changing the verb for person, number, tense, or voice. For first conjugation verbs, the infinitive ends in -āre, as in amāre, laudāre, and portāre. That ending matters because it tells you which conjugation the verb belongs to. If you see amāre, you already know you are working with a first conjugation verb, which means its present stem is amā- and it will follow the first conjugation pattern when you add personal endings. So the infinitive is not just a label, it is your starting point for building other forms. A common way to work with infinitives is to strip off the -re ending to find the stem. From amāre, you get amā-. From portāre, you get portā-. That stem is what you combine with endings and tense markers later on. In a beginning Latin class, this is one of the fastest ways to move from vocabulary recognition to actual translation. Infinitives can also function more like nouns in a sentence, depending on the construction. English does this too when we say things like “To love is hard” or “I want to read.” Latin uses infinitives in similar ways, so you may see them where English would use “to + verb,” or in phrases that depend on another verb. Do not confuse the infinitive with the verb stem itself. The infinitive includes the ending -re, while the stem is what remains after you remove it. That difference sounds small, but it matters when you are trying to identify a verb, conjugate it correctly, or explain why one form looks like amāre and another looks like amō or amāmus. ## Why It Matters Infinitive form is the doorway into Latin verb systems, especially the first conjugation. Once you can spot the infinitive, you can identify the conjugation, find the stem, and predict how the verb will change in real sentences. That shows up constantly in Elementary Latin because verb forms are one of the biggest pieces of basic translation. If you know that laudāre is the infinitive, you can connect it to forms like laudat or laudābat and see that they all belong to the same verb family. That makes vocabulary study more efficient, because you are not memorizing each form as if it were unrelated. The infinitive also helps with sentence structure. Latin can use infinitives in constructions where English would use a phrase like “to do something,” so recognizing the form keeps you from translating too literally or missing the function of the verb. When a passage includes an infinitive, you have to ask whether it is acting as a verbal idea, part of a phrase, or a form that depends on another verb. This term also supports reading confidence. Beginner Latin passages often recycle a small set of verbs, and the infinitive is the form you are most likely to meet in vocabulary lists, grammar exercises, and translation drills. If you can identify the infinitive quickly, you can move faster from “What verb is this?” to “What does this sentence actually say?” ## Connections ### Conjugation The infinitive tells you which conjugation a verb belongs to, and that tells you what pattern the verb follows. In first conjugation, the -āre ending is the clue that you are dealing with that specific verb class. When you know the conjugation, you can predict how endings and stems will behave across forms. ### Verb Stem The verb stem is what you get when you remove the infinitive ending -re. For amāre, the stem is amā-. That stem is the base you attach endings to, so the infinitive is often the easiest route to finding it during drills and translation. ### [Personal Endings](/elementary-latin/key-terms/personal-endings) Personal endings are the pieces that show who is doing the action, like I, you, or they. The infinitive does not show person, so you cannot translate it as a full finite verb by itself. Once you identify the infinitive and stem, personal endings tell you how the verb is actually functioning in a sentence. ### [Active Voice](/elementary-latin/key-terms/active-voice) First conjugation infinitives are usually taught in active voice, meaning the subject performs the action. That matters because the same verb concept can later appear in other voices or constructions, but the infinitive you meet early on is usually the active base form, like amāre or portāre. ## On the AP Exam A quiz question on this term usually asks you to identify the infinitive, name its conjugation, or strip off -re to find the stem. You may also be asked to translate a form like amāre as “to love” or explain why a verb belongs to the first conjugation. In translation exercises, spotting the infinitive helps you decide whether a word is a base form, part of a verb phrase, or something else entirely. In short-answer grammar items, you use it to justify how you parsed the verb, not just to guess the meaning. ## Infinitive Form vs Verb Stem The infinitive is the full dictionary form, while the verb stem is the part left after you remove the infinitive ending -re. For amāre, the infinitive is amāre and the stem is amā-. If you mix them up, you may misidentify the conjugation or build the wrong form when you add endings. ## Key Takeaways - The infinitive form is the base form of a Latin verb, and in first conjugation it ends in -āre. - Seeing the infinitive tells you the verb’s conjugation and gives you a reliable path to the stem. - In Elementary Latin, infinitives show up in vocabulary lists, parsing drills, and short translation passages all the time. - The infinitive does not mark person or tense, so you usually need context or endings to know the exact finite form. - A strong Latin reader can move from infinitive to stem to full conjugated form without guessing. ## FAQs ### What is Infinitive Form in Elementary Latin? Infinitive form is the dictionary base form of a Latin verb. For first conjugation verbs, it usually ends in -āre, like amāre or laudāre. It gives you the verb family and helps you find the stem. ### How do you identify the infinitive in Latin? Look for the -āre ending in first conjugation verbs. If you know the dictionary form, you can often remove -re to get the stem. That makes it easier to conjugate the verb and recognize related forms in a sentence. ### Is the infinitive the same as the verb stem? No. The infinitive includes the ending -re, while the stem is what remains after you remove it. For amāre, the infinitive is amāre and the stem is amā-. That difference matters when you build other verb forms. ### How is the infinitive used in Latin sentences? Latin infinitives can work like verbal nouns or appear in phrase constructions that English often translates with “to + verb.” You will also see them in grammar exercises where you identify the verb and explain how it behaves before conjugating it. ## Related Study Guides - [3.1 First conjugation](/elementary-latin/unit-3/conjugation/study-guide/gvqImbMTcRYsno8f) ## About This Document Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`. - [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns - [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing - [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`) - [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`) ## Structured Data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/infinitive-form#resource","name":"Infinitive Form in Elementary Latin","url":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/infinitive-form","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/infinitive-form#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-07-03T02:21:22.597Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"Elementary Latin Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/infinitive-form#term","name":"Infinitive Form","description":"Infinitive form is the Latin verb’s base form, the one that usually means “to + verb,” like amāre, “to love.” In Elementary Latin, first conjugation infinitives end in -āre.","url":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/infinitive-form","inDefinedTermSet":{"@type":"DefinedTermSet","name":"Elementary Latin Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is Infinitive Form in Elementary Latin?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Infinitive form is the dictionary base form of a Latin verb. 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