Indirect Questions with Infinitives
Navigating the job market after graduation can be overwhelming. When you aren't sure what to do, where to go, or how to start, you can express this uncertainty using an indirect question.
Just like in English, you can form these by pairing a question word directly with an infinitive verb.
| The student is confused and does not know what to study. | El estudiante está confuso y no sabe qué estudiar. |
| He is undecided and does not know what to do with his vocation. | Él está indeciso y no sabe qué hacer con su vocación. |
Using Different Question Words
Use this simple structure with any question word to explain what you are trying to figure out or decide. Notice that question words always keep their written accent marks, even though there are no question marks in the sentence!
| Everything is confusing; I do not understand how to change my professional direction. | Todo es confuso; no entiendo cómo cambiar mi rumbo laboral. |
| It is a great dilemma to decide where to study the postgraduate degree. | Es un gran dilema decidir dónde estudiar el posgrado. |
When using reflexive verbs, simply attach the reflexive pronoun to the end of the infinitive, just as you normally would.
| It is difficult to decide when to specialize in medicine. | Es difícil decidir cuándo especializarse en medicina. |
If the question word requires a preposition, such as a quién (who/whom to), the preposition stays right before the question word.
| I am undecided and I do not know who to ask about my vocation. | Estoy indeciso y no sé a quién preguntar sobre mi vocación. |