Common questions

How do you use zu infinitive in German?

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How do you use zu infinitive in German?

These constructions use the infinitive of a verb, much like modals do, but are set off by a comma. You’ll place the verb after zu, and the rest of your phrasing between zu and um, ohne or (an)statt. For example: Ich muss mein Zimmer aufräumen, um meine Socken zu finden.

How do you use zu infinitive?

To make your German flow, you can link two clauses by using um… zu…, which means ‘in order to’. This construction is sometimes referred to as the infinitive construction.

Is Zu a dative preposition?

Dative Prepositions Examples. Again, there are 9 prepositions that are always dative: aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, gegenüber.

What is the infinitive in German?

An infinitive It is the basic form of a verb before any changes for tense or people are made, like spielen – to play. The auxiliary verb werden has to be the second idea in the sentence. The infinitive has to be at the end of the sentence.

What is the meaning of Zu?

Definitions of Zu. evil storm god represented as a black bird. synonyms: Zubird. example of: Semitic deity.

How is zu used in German?

The preposition zu is used in most other cases and is always used for “to” with people: Geh zu Mutti!, “Go to (your) mom!” Note that zu can also mean “too,” functioning as an adverb: zu viel, “too much.”

What is a dependent infinitive?

The dependent infinitive stands, as usual, in final position in the sentence, but it is preceded by a zu. If the dependent infinitive involves an entire phrase, as in our second and third examples, this phrase is separated from the main clause by a comma.

What is a dative preposition?

Simply put, dative prepositions are governed by the dative case. That is, they are followed by a noun or take an object in the dative case. In English, prepositions take the objective case (object of the preposition) and all prepositions take the same case.

Is geben a dative?

Also, geben is always followed by the dative case. Ich will es nicht. ‘It’ is the object of the verb wollen, so must be accusative.

What are infinitive clauses?

In English grammar, an infinitive clause is a subordinate clause whose verb is in the infinitive form. Also known as an infinitival clause or a to-infinitive clause. The infinitive clause is called a clause because it may contain such clausal elements as a subject, object, complement, or modifier.

What language is zu?

German
Zu is one of the two main German word to indicate where someone (or something) is headed.

What does Zu and infinitive mean in German?

The phrases that use “zu” plus an infinitive are called infinitive clauses. Infinitive clauses are a type of dependent clause that don’t technically have a subject. Basically it is like having an extra half to a sentence that isn’t complete, as it doesn’t show who is acting, stuck to the end of another sentence.

Is the verb in an infinitive clause in German?

Infinitive Clauses. In both English and German, infinitive clauses are a kind of dependent clause in which there is no grammatical subject, only an implied one, and therefore the verb is not inflected. An infinitive clause is particularly dependent on the main clause of the sentence for its meaning.

When to use zugoes in an infinitive clause?

If the verb in question has a separable prefix, the zugoes between the prefix and the stem (e.g. anzufangen[to begin], zuzumachen[to close]). Traditionally, an infinitive clause that contains only the verb and possibly an adverb is not set off by a comma, while those with other elements are: Das ist schwer zu machen.

When to use an infinitive clause in a sentence?

In both English and German, infinitive clauses are a kind of dependent clause in which there is no grammatical subject, only an implied one, and therefore the verb is not inflected. An infinitive clause is particularly dependent on the main clause of the sentence for its meaning.