The infinitives of different types of verbs are formed by adding the ending [-Ál] -ل to different stems:
a) regular simple verbs only have one stem, so the infinitive is formed from that stem.
"to write" - لیکٌل
"to beat" - وَهٌل
b) irregular simple verbs form their infinitives from their past stems.
"to take" - اَخیسْتٌل
"to call" - بَلٌل
c) special simple verbs form their infinitives from their imperfective stems.
to go" - تْلٌل
"to come" - راتْلٌل
"to do" - کَوٌل
"to become" - کېدل
"to take away" - وْړٌل
"to drive" - بیوٌل
d) verbs which use prefixes form their infinitives from the same stems as the simple verbs.
"to come in" - نٌنَوَتٌل
"to invite" - رابَلٌل
"to take with oneself" - رااَخیسْتٌل
e) transitive verbs that use suffixes form their infinitives from a common stem, while intransitive verbs that use suffixes form their infinitives from their past stems:
"to spend" - تېرَوٌل
"to build" - جُوړَوٌل .
Note: Irregular verbs can have a second infinitive formed from the present stem, and special verbs can have a second infinitive formed from perfective stem:
"to go" - وْلاړٌل
"to come" - راغْلٌل
"to do" - کْړٌل
"to become" - شْوٌل
"to take away" - یووْړٌل
"to drive" - بُوتْلٌل
The indirect case for infinitives is produced by adding the ending [-o] -و :
"to do" - کَوٌل → کَوٌلُو
"to become" - کېدٌل → کېدٌلو .
Infinitives also have short forms. The short forms of infinitives in the direct case are formed from the same stems as the full infinitives, plus the ending [-a] -ه, but these forms are rarely used. The short forms of infinitives in the indirect case are formed by adding the ending [-o] -و.
"to become" - کېدل → کېده → کېدو .
A full infinitive can act as the subject, the object, or the nominal part of a predicate in a sentence. Short infinitives can perform the same functions, but only in the indirect case. (See Syntax.)
See Also: