B2Spanish · Grammar

De + infinitive

A lesson from the B2 course: the rule, examples and a 20-sentence test.

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Lesson

The 'de + Infinitive' Construction – Expressing Condition and Cause

In Spanish, the 'de + infinitive' construction is a really useful and elegant way to express a condition or a cause. It allows you to convey information concisely, often replacing longer subordinate clauses. It's a fantastic way to make your Spanish sound more natural and fluent! 😊

De + infinitive

1. Expressing Condition (Condición)

When we use 'de + infinitive' to express a condition, we usually translate it as 'If...' or 'Should...'. It's a shorter alternative to constructions with si (if). It can refer to the present, future, or a hypothetical past.

  • De + infinitive: 'If...' (for present/future)
  • De no + infinitive: 'If not...'
  • De haber + past participle: 'If (it) had...' (for hypothetical past)

De llegar tarde, perderás el autobús.

If you arrive late, you'll miss the bus.

De haberlo sabido antes, no habría venido.

If I had known it earlier, I wouldn't have come.

2. Expressing Cause (Causa)

In this context, 'de + infinitive' indicates the cause or reason for an action or state. We often translate it as 'upon...', 'after...', 'seeing...', 'hearing...', or 'due to...'. It's similar to the gerund, but with an emphasis on the cause.

  • De + infinitive: 'Upon...', 'After...', 'Seeing...', 'Hearing...' (immediate cause/reaction)
  • De tanto + infinitive: 'Due to so much...' (cause resulting from excessive action)

De oír el ruido, se asustó el niño.

Upon hearing the noise, the child got scared.

De tanto trabajar, está agotado.

Due to working so much, he's exhausted.

Usage TypeStructureExample (Spanish)Translation (English)
Condition (simple)De + infinitiveDe estudiar, aprobarás.If you study, you'll pass.
Condition (past)De haber + past participleDe haberlo sabido, no habría ido.If I had known it, I wouldn't have gone.
Cause (immediate)De + infinitiveDe verla, se alegró.Upon seeing her, he cheered up.
Cause (intensive)De tanto + infinitiveDe tanto correr, se cansó.Due to running so much, he got tired.
Watch out! 🚨 Don't confuse the 'de + infinitive' construction with 'para + infinitive' (which expresses purpose: 'in order to...') or 'al + infinitive' (which expresses simultaneity: 'upon doing...', 'when...'). Each has its unique meaning! The key is the preposition 'de'.
De estudiar mucho, aprobarás.
Para estudiar mucho, aprobarás.

'De + infinitive' expresses a condition ('If you study...'), whereas 'para + infinitive' expresses purpose ('In order to study...'), which doesn't fit the context.

Memory trick: Think of DE as DE-fining a condition or DE-scribing a cause! 🧠

Now that you know these constructions, try putting them into practice! The more you practise, the easier it will become to use them naturally. ¡Mucha suerte! ✨

Test yourself

20 questions. Answer them all, then check — you'll see what you got right and what to fix.

  1. 1

    Fill in both gaps

    1 ir, 2 con tiempo.

    If you want to go, let me know in advance.

    1
    2
  2. 2

    Complete the sentence

    , tomaría la decisión.

    If he didn't doubt, he would make a decision.

  3. 3

    Fill in both gaps

    1 el trabajo pronto, 2 a descansar.

    If we finish work early, we'll go and have a rest.

    1
    2
  4. 4

    Complete the sentence

    , le dolía la cabeza.

    His head hurt from thinking so much.

  5. 5

    Fill in both gaps

    1 la verdad, todo 2 diferente.

    If he had told the truth, everything would be different.

    1
    2
  6. 6

    Fill in both gaps

    1 así, 2 tus metas.

    If you carry on like this, you will achieve your goals.

    1
    2
  7. 7

    Fill in both gaps

    1 el viaje, 2 el dinero.

    If we cancel the trip, we will lose money.

    1
    2
  8. 8

    Fill in both gaps

    1, 2 ganado el premio.

    If we had participated, we would have won the prize.

    1
    2
  9. 9

    Type the missing words in the right form

    ir, con tiempo.

    If you want to go, let me know in advance.

  10. 10

    Type the missing words in the right form

    ayuda, sin dudar.

    If you need help, call without hesitation.

  11. 11

    Type the missing words in the right form

    a tiempo, no te nada.

    If you arrive on time, you won't miss anything.

  12. 12

    Type the missing words in the right form

    la ventana, aire fresco.

    If you opened the window, fresh air would come in.

  13. 13

    Type the missing words in the right form

    en ti, nadie lo .

    If you don't believe in yourself, nobody will.

  14. 14

    Type the missing words in the right form

    su voz, te .

    If you listened to his voice, you would calm down.

  15. 15

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    If you help others, you will feel better.

  16. 16

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    If you hadn't ignored the sign, you wouldn't have been fined.

  17. 17

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    If we had acted sooner, we would have avoided the crisis.

  18. 18

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    His stomach hurt from eating so many sweets.

  19. 19

    Build the missing word from the letters

    ayuda, no estarías solo.

    If you had asked for help, you wouldn't be alone.

  20. 20

    Match each word to its meaning

Printable test

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