喜樂美語
  1. 1nB1/ɪnˈfɪnətɪv/不定詞

    正式In grammar, the basic form of a verb, which in English is usually used with the word "to". In "I want to watch television", "to watch" is an infinitive.

    示範例句 · Example

    Our teacher said that in "I want to watch television", "to watch" is an infinitive.

    逐字我們的老師說，在「I want to watch television」裡，「to watch」是一個不定詞。

    「infinitive」是文法課上的名稱，指動詞最原始的樣子——還沒有跟著人稱、時間去做任何改變。英文裡通常寫成 to + 原形動詞，像是 to watch、to go、to help；在 I want to watch television 這句裡，to watch 就是一個 infinitive。可以想成：這個動詞還沒被「誰做的、什麼時候做的」綁住，所以才叫 infinitive（不被限定的）。老師講 let her go、make him smile 這種沒有 to 的形式時，會叫它 bare infinitive（原形不定詞），跟 V-ing（動名詞 gerund）是不一樣的東西。

    常見搭配

    • the to infinitive

      to + 原形動詞的形式

      the form written as 'to' plus the basic verb

      In "She hopes to win", the to infinitive is "to win".

    • the bare infinitive

      原形不定詞（不加 to）

      the basic form of a verb used without 'to'

      After "let" we use the bare infinitive: "Let her try again."

    • a split infinitive

      分裂不定詞（to 和動詞中間插了字）

      an infinitive with a word placed between 'to' and the verb

      "To quickly finish" is a split infinitive.

    • use the infinitive

      使用不定詞

      to choose this verb form in a sentence

      Use the infinitive after "want": "I want to help."

    • be followed by an infinitive

      後面接不定詞

      to be the kind of word that takes an infinitive after it

      The verb "decide" is followed by an infinitive: "We decided to walk."

    意思相近

    to-infinitivebase form

    用法接近

    gerundparticipleverbtensephrasegrammar

core核心畫面

You can think of an infinitive as a verb before anything has been decided about it: no person, no time, no number — just the naked action. "To watch" in "I want to watch television" does not tell you who watches or when; the surrounding verb ("want") carries all of that, and the infinitive supplies only the action itself. It is the form you meet in a dictionary entry, the verb at rest.

可以想成：動詞還沒被安上任何條件之前的樣子——沒有人稱、沒有時間、沒有單複數，只剩下那個動作本身。I want to watch television 裡的 to watch 不告訴你是誰看、什麼時候看；那些訊息全由前面的 want 扛著，不定詞只負責提供「看」這件事。它也就是你在字典裡查到的那個形態，動詞靜止不動的狀態。

複數 infinitives

意思相近

to-infinitivebase form

用法接近

gerundparticipleverbtensephrasegrammar

原始詞典資料5 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

infinitivenoun/ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/

  • 1

    grammarhuman-scienceslinguisticsThe infinitive mood or mode (a grammatical mood).

    • The MANNERS of acting, in grammar called modes or moods, are four; Infinitive, Imperative, Indicative, Subjunctive or Conjunctive.
    • There are four moods, the Infinitive, Imperative, Indicative, and Subjunctive. [...] the Infinitive is used to express a thing in a general manner.
  • 2

    grammarhuman-scienceslinguisticsA non-finite verb form considered neutral with respect to inflection; depending on language variously found used with auxiliary verbs, in subordinate clauses, or acting as a gerund, and often as the dictionary form.

  • 3

    grammarhuman-scienceslinguisticsA verbal noun formed from the infinitive of a verb.

infinitiveadj/ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/

  • 1

    grammarhuman-scienceslinguisticsFormed with the infinitive.

    • INFINITIVE MOOD or MANNER. To Have, Avoir.
    • In English there are four moods:–1. The Infinitive Mood. 2. The Indicative Mood. 3. the Imperative Mood. 4. The Subjunctive Mood.
  • 2

    Unlimited; not bounded or restricted; undefined.

    • […] to search out in some higher region of infinitive space a spot where it was impossible for defilement to follow them […]

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。