Verboids look like verbs, but they are not.
Before beginning to analyze the meaning of the term in question, we must proceed to determine its etymological origin. In this case, we can say that it is the result of the sum of two clearly differentiated elements:
-The Latin term "verbum" which can be translated as "word."
-The component «-oid», which has Greek origin and means «image» or «appearance».
Verboid is not a term that is part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ). The notion, in any case, is used to name words that look like verbs but that, at a syntactical level, act in a different way . In other words: a verboid is a verb that adopts an impersonal form .
Types of Verboids
Because verbos are not conjugated in the first, second, or third person, they are not verbs , but a different kind of word. Verbos can be infinitives , gerunds, or participles .
In the case of infinitive verbs , they end in «ar» , «er», or «ir» and act as the subject ( noun ) in the sentence. Let's look at an example . In the expression «Abrar puertas es más difícil que cerrados» , the verb is «es» . As you can see, «abrir» does not act as a verb, but is the nucleus of the subject , which is formed with the direct object «puertas» . The subject of the sentence, therefore, is «abrir puertas» .
Gerund verbs end in “ando” or “endo” and function as adverbs . For example: “Remembering that the road is frozen, we installed chains on the wheels.” The verb is “instalamos,” while “remembering” allows for the development of a circumstantial construction.
The participle verbs , finally, end in «ado» or «ido» . They act as adjectives and can receive the modifiers of the verbs: «Ricardo will be hit, but Juan is destroyed» . In this expression, «hit» and «destructed» are adjectival forms of «hit» and «destroy» .
Verbs can be classified as participles, gerunds or infinitives.
Some examples
Many other examples of verbs that exist and that we can find regularly in numerous sentences are the following:
-Verbos in the infinitive are to call, to eat, to give birth, to smell, to take, to split, to give birth and to love.
-Verbs in the compound infinitive are examples such as having loved, having slept, having feared and having eaten.
-Verboids in participle or passive participle are some like wanted, feared, born, split, printed, said, born, wounded, put, done…
-There are also many and varied verbs in the simple gerund. Specifically, among the most significant examples that exist we find the following: playing, wishing, loving, leaving, dreaming, fearing, sleeping…
-Likewise, we cannot forget that there are many gerundive verbs in the compound. Among those that are used most frequently are some such as having feared, having eaten, having dined, having run, having loved, having left…
Sentences with Verboids
Based on all the above, we can find verbs in sentences like these:
-The missing child was fortunately found by police officers.
-The dog is dead, the rabies is over.
-You have to prepare dinner so that we can all enjoy the evening.
-Loving a person of the same sex is not a crime.
In short, we can say that verbals are impersonal forms of verbs that act as nouns, adverbs or adjectives and that lack action value.