When to Use the Infinitive Instead of -ing

Paul’s Key Insight

In English, we often say things like:

  • He left after eating.
  • She stayed home instead of going.
  • They complained about working.

And we try to say ‘after eating / después de comiendo‘ using a gerund/-ing like we would in English.
But this structure never works in Spanish.

When to Use the Infinitive Instead of -ing

Spanish Rule

  1. A preposition must be followed directly by a verb in the infinitive form.
  2. You can’t place a pronoun between the preposition and the verb.
  3. If a pronoun is needed, it must be attached to the end of the infinitive.

🧠 Useful Prepositions to Watch For

  • después de = after
  • antes de = before
  • sin = without
  • por = because of / for
  • en lugar de = instead of

✏️ Practice: 5 Examples

  1. I left after eating lunch.
     ➡ Fui después de almorzar.
  2. She’s excited about traveling to Mexico.
     ➡ Ella está emocionada por viajar a México.
  3. We talked before going to bed.
     ➡ Hablamos antes de acostarnos.
     (reflexive pronoun attached to the verb)
  4. He apologized for being late.
     ➡ Se disculpó por llegar tarde.
  5. They’re tired of working so much.
     ➡ Ellos están cansados de trabajar tanto.
  1. Before leaving, I locked all the doors.
  2. She’s interested in learning Spanish.
  3. Without saying a word, he walked away.
  4. I feel better after talking to you.
  5. Instead of driving, let’s walk.

Answers:

  1. Before leaving, I locked all the doors.
    ➡ Antes de salir, encerré todas las puertas.
  2. She’s interested in learning Spanish.
    ➡ Ella está interesada en aprender español.
  3. Without saying a word, he walked away.
    ➡ Sin decir una palabra, él salió.
  4. I feel better after talking to you.
    ➡ Me siento mejor después de hablar contigo.
  5. Instead of driving, let’s walk.
    ➡ En lugar de manejar, vamos a caminar.

Try translating these — all have reflexive verbs that need to follow the “infinitive + pronoun on the end” rule:

  1. Before showering, she made coffee.
  2. He left without brushing his teeth.
  3. After sitting down, they started eating.
  4. I called you after getting dressed.
  5. We talked before going to bed.

Answers:

  1. Before showering, she made coffee.
    ➡ Antes de ducharse, ella hizo café.
  2. He left without brushing his teeth.
    ➡ Él salió sin cepillarse los dientes.
  3. After sitting down, they started eating.
    ➡ Después de sentarse, ellos empezaron a comer.
  4. I called you after getting dressed.
    ➡ Te llamé después de vestirme.
  5. We talked before going to bed.
    ➡ Hablamos antes de acostarnos.