When is "el" used with the infinitive in Spanish

Question

I'm not suggesting that this is a good example but, as an example, can you translate "smoking is bad for your health" with both "fumar es malo para la salud" and "el fumar es malo para la salud". I've seen the infinitive used on its own and with "el" but I haven't come across any statement as to why one or the other is used.

Gracias por adelantado

You should really take the free lessons here, amigo. :) - rac1, Oct 30, 2015

"smoking" can be used as a noun in English but "fumando" is not used this way in Spanish.- So "to smoke" is used. - ian-hill, Oct 30, 2015

I agree completely with Ian. It has taken me a while to realize that many parts of speech in English do not directly or literally translate to Spanish. (I still have problems sometimes.) Good luck! ;-) - Winkfish, Oct 30, 2015

Answer 1

¡Hola!

When you say "El fumar es malo para la salud", "fumar" doesn't work as a verb. Actually, "fumar" is the subject (it performs the action).

For example: "El fumar mata" and "El perro salta" have the same structure, but in the second one you don't ask why there is a "El" in there.

Is not about an infinitive verb, it is about a verb which works as a subject.

Anyways, as Ikigreg says, you can omit "El" if the subject is a infinitive verb.

Sorry for my English. I hope this will be helpful

eso es y gramaticalmente se conoce como sustantivación sintáctica del verbo. - 000a35ff, Oct 30, 2015

Precisamente. - Daniela2041, Oct 31, 2015

Answer 2

You can use it indistinctly. But in Spanish we usually omit "el" in this kind of sentences. That's why the best translation is "fumar es malo para la salud"

What does 'indistinctly' mean? When would one use 'e' ? - mojac, Oct 30, 2015

I would guess he means "interchangeably." - Winkfish, Oct 30, 2015

Answer 3

I disagree with Ikigreg:

Analize the following,

smoking or to smoke is bad for you.

The action of smoking is bad for you.

Would this make it easier to understand the function of "the"?

On what I agree with Ikigreg is that in general we tend to not use it. Take for instance that many of you are taught to say

Pencils = Los lápices

Tower = La torre

But, as in English the usage of the article is there to distinguish a certain group or item etc

Pencils -> The pencils

Tower -> The tower.

C?