Quick Grammar Question

Quick Grammar Question
 

Hi All, happy new year!

Sorry if this is a silly question but ive never actually known the answer for certain so would like some clarification...

If a sentence contains 2 verbs next to each other, do both of them need to be conjugated or only the first one? I think I have only noticed instances where the first verb is conjugated but the second one is left in the infinitive.

Is there a rule that governs this or can it change depending on circumstances?

Thank you!

Do you have any specific examples? It will be easier to answer and explain for each case... :thinking:

For example, I know that when querer is conjugated directly before another verb, the second verb is always in the infinitive:

Quiero ir a...
Quiero comer...

etc.

Are there any situations (and verbs) where 2 verbs would be conjugated together - for example both verbs conjugated in the Yo form.

I'm not sure if this will answer your question, but maybe with some examples you can ask more specific ones. ;)


Perfect tenses are expressed with "haber" + past participle.

He venido
Habrás comido
Habríamos amado


Passive voice is made with "ser" + past participle:

El auto es comprado.
Las flores son plantadas.


There are combinations between conjugated verbs and gerundio to express two actions happening at the same time:

Vino corriendo.
Estábamos conversando.
Conducía bebiendo.


Verbs "querer" and "poder" can be combined with infinitives to describe an intention or a capability:

Quiero comer
Querías correr
Quisiéramos salir
Puedo venir
Podríamos considerar
Pudieron hablar


But most verbs need prepositions or conjunctions to be linked to another verb (conjugated or not). :thinking:

Quiero que vengas.
Me dijo que saltara.
Canta y baila.
Durmieron y descansaron.
Vamos a dormir.
Siéntate a comer.
Volvió a decir lo mismo.
Dejen de gritar.
Llamó para hacer una reservación.
Cantaron para alegrarme.

Hello - I have only just noticed this post. The answer is the same for English and Spanish: a sentence can consists of several clauses. A clause have only make sense if it has one and only one finite verb. Therefore, with two verbs next to each other, one of them must be non-finite - (including an infinitive).

What you are talking about with, say, I want to go is a class of verb called modal auxiliaries, and they describe the manner in which the main verb in the infinitive is modified:

I have to go
I want to go
I need to go
(sometimes you get a shortened infinitive)
I must go

Does that help? (It is entirely consistent with @Angelica's excellent post)

Thank you Angelica (again!) and Perikles - both answers are perfect and clear :)