Using Infinitive Clauses in German

German infinitive clauses are common and often formed with the word zu plus the infinitive of the verb. They are similar to English sentences like “to go,” “to do,” or “in order to learn.” These clauses can come after certain verbs, adjectives, or expressions.

Some verbs and phrases require an infinitive with zu:

• vergessen, zu gehen (to forget to go)
• beginnen, zu lernen (to begin to learn)
• aufhören, zu rauchen (to stop smoking)
• versuchen, zu helfen (to try to help)
• anfangen, zu schreiben (to start to write)
• empfehlen, zu probieren (to recommend trying)
• planen, zu kommen (to plan to come)
• versprechen, zu helfen (to promise to help)
• sich vorstellen, zu reisen (to imagine traveling)

Examples:

• Ich fange an, Deutsch zu lernen.
• Sie hat vergessen, das Fenster zu schließen.
• Er versucht, das Problem zu lösen.
• Wir empfehlen, das Museum zu besuchen.
• Ich verspreche, pünktlich zu sein.

Some modal verbs (like können, dürfen, müssen, sollen, wollen, mögen) are used without zu:

• Ich darf gehen. (I may go.)
• Du willst schlafen. (You want to sleep.)
• Wir können schwimmen. (We can swim.)

When an infinitive clause has its own subject or needs to be clearer, you can use um ... zu to express “in order to”:

• Um Deutsch zu lernen, besuche ich einen Kurs.

The word order for the infinitive clause is: verb with zu goes at the end of the clause.

Other common phrases:

• Ich habe keine Zeit, das zu machen. (I have no time to do that.)
• Er hat Lust, ins Kino zu gehen. (He feels like going to the cinema.)
• Sie hat Angst, Fehler zu machen. (She is afraid to make mistakes.)

A few verbs can be used both with and without zu, but the meaning might change. Always watch for which verbs require the zu structure and which do not.