a + infinitive
When is a used before an infinitive?
3 Answers
When the verb preceding them requires it
They just have to be learned individually, there is no predictive rule that I am aware of. Here is an example list:
http://www.elearnspanishlanguage.com/grammar/verb/verbswithprep-a.html
In Spanish, many verbs must be followed by a preposition, which may or may not correspond to the preposition (if any) used in English. The following is a list of Spanish verbs which require a when followed by an infinitive.
(a long list of infinitives follow)
A separate thing is when “al” precedes an infinitive- which means basically “upon”
Al entrar= upon entering.
These are called linked verbs. As bosque said, there aren't many hard and fast rules and you just need to work on becoming familiar with them (familiarizarse con).
verb + a is only one of the several categories. As the linked verbs are verbs combined with prepositions, you'll see verb + en, verb + que, verb + de, verb + con.
Here is a nice full list of a variety of the most common linked verbs you'll encounter and need to know.
while there aren't many hard fast rules as to which ones get them, there are some rules as to how they're generally used and constructed (such as the first rule on the link I've provided which statse 1) Verbs meaning “to begin” and verbs of movement towards someplace or goal are normally followed by a plus an infinitive. )
So check it out and get that stuff into your bag of tricks!
Something similar happens in English - for example.
Listen to me
but
Hear me - not - hear to me
As Bosque has already said these verbs just have be lerarned.
