Infinitive as the Subject - Easy to Learn & Useful to Know - with Video

How would you say the following sentence in Portuguese?

Speaking Portuguese is fun.

You were right if you said:

Falar português é divertido.

In English, we use the gerund – the -ing form – as the subject of a sentence: Speaking Portuguese is fun.

In Portuguese, we do this with the infinitive – the base form – of the verb: Falar português é divertido.

Let’s see more examples:

• Cozinhar é uma arte. = Cooking is an art.
• Comer frutas é bom para a sua saúde. = Eating fruits is good for your health.
• Discutir no trânsito é uma perda de tempo = Arguing in traffic is a waste of time.

Practice what you learned!

Here is an exercise for you. Translate the sentences below into Portuguese. The answers are at the end of this post. Divirta-se!

1. Going to the beach in Brazil is a social experience.
2. Reading is a good way to learn vocabulary.
3. Learning with Street Smart Brazil is awesome.
4. Driving in Brazil is not for the faint of heart.
5. Making brigadeiros is easy and fun.

Answers to the exercise:

1. Ir à praia no Brasil é uma experiência social.
2. Ler é uma boa maneira para aprender vocabulário.
3. Aprender com a Street Smart Brazil é show de bola.
4. Dirigir no Brasil não é para os fracos de coração.
5. Fazer brigadeiros é fácil e divertido.
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For Portuguese classes and intercultural coaching, please visit StreetSmartBrazil.com