Infinitives in sentences

Question

No fui a clase ayer por estar cansada.

I didn’t go to class yesterday because I was tired.

Why is estar there as an infinitive?

Answer 1

"por ser cansada" literally it translates as "in order to be tired' What do you really want to say?? Because I was tired.. "porque era cansada(o)" Cansada or (o) depends on subject gender

Answer 2

Just trying to make sense of this. Perhaps if we interpreted "No fui a clase ayer por estar cansada" as "I didn't go to class yesterday for being tired" it would be easier to see. Just a thought.

Agreed, and even easier if you substitute ¨due to¨ for ¨for¨ - rogspax, Dec 19, 2012

Maybe "por" has to be followed an infinitive since "por" is a preposition? - GraceM, Dec 21, 2012

I mean, your way sounds good, Noetol. :) My comments were posted out of order. - GraceM, Dec 21, 2012

To me, that sounds like a good way to interpret it. And maybe "por" could even be interpreted as "because of", so..."because of being tired." - GraceM, Dec 21, 2012

Answer 3

No fui a clase ayer por estar cansada.

This is just one of various ways to say "I didn´t go to class yesterday because I was tired." Since "por" refers to the reason, we use "estar" after it to note the condition of the girl speaking this sentence.

We can also say "No fui a clase ayer por cansada." "No fui a clase ayer porque estaba cansada." "No fui a clase ayer pues estaba cansada." "No fui a clase ayer ya que estaba cansada." Each variant has its own nuance.

Answer 4

...estar cansada ... to be tired.

Estar is in the infinitive because both verbs refer to the same subject..you.

I don´t understand that in this case. - rogspax, Dec 19, 2012

I read the sentnece as being Ï didn't go to class yesterday for being tired. The use of porque instead of por I think would make a better sentence. - gringojrf, Dec 19, 2012

I think the por make sense here, as in reason, as in, por eso, por el amor, por estar enferma, but admit this is the one sense-use of por that seems the most like porque, i.e. has the most ambiguity. - rogspax, Dec 19, 2012

Now THAT makes sense to me, and that was what I meant to suggest originally, but just felt that it was an infinitive because of being ´ being´, not because the subject is the same. - rogspax, Dec 19, 2012

Answer 5

I´m not sure if this is even valid, but maybe instead of meaning to say;

¨because I was sick¨

they are trying to say;

¨due to being sick¨

Make sense?

Anyone else?

Answer 6

I would not use an infinitive in this sentence. As has been already already said....... No fui a clase ayer porque (yo) estaba cansada/o native speakers will have a lot more ways of saying it.