complacerse: Nos complacemos en recibirles.
We take pleasure in giving you hospitality.
consentir: Consentimos en verlos.
We agreed to see them.
dudar: No dudes en preguntarme.
Don’t hesitate to ask me.
insistir: Insisto en saber.
I insist on knowing.
tardar: El tren tarda dos horas en llegar.
The train takes two hours to get there.
vacilar: Vaciló en contestar.
He/she hesitated to reply.
In all the above cases, the subject of the main verb is the same as the implied subject of
the infinitive complement. Insistir also takes a sentence complement with que and the
subjunctive when the subjects are different, e.g.:
Insisto en que vengas. I insist that you come.NOTE The en is preserved before the que in such a construction.Consentir similarly also has a sentence complement construction, but the en is not
used:
Consiento que vayas. I consent to you going.26.2.2.5 Withcon
The following are examples of verbs which take con with an infinitive complement:
amenazar: Amenaza con llover.
It’s threatening to rain.
soñar: Soñé con ganar la lotería.
I dreamed of winning the lottery.
26.2.2.6 Withpor
The following are examples of verbs which take por with an infinitive complement:
acabar: Acabó por dar un salto mortal.
He/she finished by doing a somersault.
comenzar: Comencemos por leer el texto.
Let’s begin by reading the text.
empezar: Empezó por construir un modelo.
He/she began by building a model.
esforzarse: Me esforcé por ganar.
I strove to win.
luchar: Vamos a luchar por conseguir nuestros objectivos.
We will fight to achieve our objectives.
Infinitive complementation 26.2