Translating the -ing form of verbs with L'Infinitif (not -ant)

Aurélie Drouard
2020-06-07
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Generally, when talking about an activity in English, we use either the -ing form of the verb or the to + verb form:
 
Dieting is useful.  /  To diet is useful.
I love going on holiday.  /  I love to go on holiday.  

Now look at these examples:

Faire un régime est utile.Dieting is useful.  

J'adore aller en vacances.I love going on holiday.

J'aime lire.I like to read / I like reading.

Je déteste manger des épinards.I hate to eat spinach / I hate eating spinach.

In French, you will always use the infinitive in those cases.

Case of reflexive infinitives

Je déteste me lever tôt.I hate getting up early.

Vous aimez bien vous promener.You like going for a walk.

Basile adore se coucher tard.Basile loves going to bed late.

When the infinitive is a reflexive verb, the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) matches the subject of the sentence (i.e. the person referred to).




See also Conjugate reflexive verbs in Le Futur Proche (aller + infinitive)

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Examples and resources

Je n'aime pas nager.I don't like to swim / I don't like swimming.
Je déteste me lever tôt.I hate getting up early.
Poser un lapin le jour de la Saint-Valentin, ça craint!Standing someone up on Valentine's Day, that sucks!
Je déteste manger des épinards.I hate to eat spinach / I hate eating spinach.
J'adore aller en vacances.I love going on holiday.
Ménager le vin quand le tonneau est à sa fin, c'est s'y prendre un peu tard. 
(Proverbe agricole)Sparing the wine when the barrel is at its end is getting to it a bit late.
(Farmer's proverb)
Faire de l'exercice est fatiguant.Exercising is tiring.
Ne pas écouter est sa spécialité.Not listening is his speciality.
Ils aiment dessiner.They like drawing.  /  They like to draw.
Faire un régime est utile.Dieting is useful.  
J'aime lire.I like to read / I like reading.
Basile adore se coucher tard.Basile loves going to bed late.
J'adore regarder la télé.I love watching telly.  /  I love to watch telly.
Nous détestons marcher.We hate walking.  /  We hate to walk.
J'adore faire du shopping.I love to go shopping / I love going shopping.
Vous aimez bien vous promener.You like going for a walk.
Il aime lire.He likes reading.  /  He likes to read.
Pose ce téléphone!
Se faire les yeux doux par écran interposé, si ça marchait, ça se saurait!Put down that phone!
Making doe eyes with a screen in-between, if that worked, we would know!
Thinking...