How do you use infinitives in Spanish?
In what cases do you use a + infinitive or just infinitive?
For example, "a comer" vs. "comer". They both mean "to eat" in English, so I'm confused.
3 Answers
In such cases the 'a' does not go with the infinitive it goes with the preceding verb. e.g. "Voy a comer." should be understood as "conjugated verb followed by 'voy a (or, more generally, some preposition)" + infinitive. In many/most cases the preposition will have no exact translation in English (the infinitive, itself can be translated as "to ...")
Anything that is uncongugated is to+verb.
- Comer= to eat
- Dormir= to sleep
- Trabajar= to work
Hope this helps!