Infinitives refer to the basic form of a verb, without an inflection (i.e. a change in the form of a word) binding it to a particular subject or tense.

In English, for example, the verb ‘be’ is the infinitive form of a verb. It can then be changed to ‘am’, ‘is’, ‘are’ (present tense), ‘was’ and ‘were’ for past tense, and ‘will be’ for future tense.

In Hindi, verbs in the infinitive form end in ना, for example:

If the ना is removed from the verb, the part remaining is called the ‘verbal root’ or root of the verb, for example:

Understanding the infinitives and forming the verbal root is important in building sentences, so ensure that you master this lesson before moving on.