Infinitives
An infinitive is the basic form of a verb, and in Mandarin an infinitive is often expressed by a verb or by a construction with yào 要, huì 会, or néng 能.
Basic Infinitives
The simplest way to show an infinitive is just to use the verb itself: in Mandarin each verb is a bare form like chī 吃 or qù 去 without conjugation.
Usage
Use the bare verb for infinitives when you want to say you want to do something, plan to do something, or when one verb follows another directly.
Examples
| Hanzi Example | Pinyin Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 🍳 我想学做饭。 | Wǒ xiǎng xué zuòfàn. | I want to learn to cook. |
| 🛒 她说了要去买菜。 | Tā shuō le yào qù mǎi cài. | She said she would go buy groceries. |
| ⏰ 他们准备早点吃饭。 | Tāmen zhǔnbèi zǎodiǎn chīfàn. | They are preparing to eat early. |
Key Verbs
Some verbs commonly appear before an infinitive are market verbs like xiǎng 想, yào 要, néng 能, and huì 会.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 准备 | zhǔnbèi | to prepare |
| 开始 | kāishǐ | to start |
| 想 | xiǎng | to want / to think |
| 需要 | xūyào | to need |
| 试 | shì | to try |
| 学 | xué | to learn |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
The Verb zhǔn bèi 准备
zhǔn bèi 准备 (to prepare to) is often followed by an infinitive, making it useful for talking about plans.
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
The Verb kāi shǐ 开始
kāi shǐ 开始 (to start to) also takes an infinitive after it when you describe beginning an action.
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Using néng 能, huì 会, and yào 要
néng 能 (can/able to), huì 会 (know how to / will), and yào 要 (want to / going to) all typically come before a bare verb to express ability, intention, or future action.
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Summary
Infinitives in Mandarin are normally just the bare verb form like chī 吃 or qù 去, and market verbs such as xiǎng 想, yào 要, néng 能, and huì 会 commonly precede an infinitive to show intention, ability, or plan.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025