Introduction to the Infinitive with zu

German has two fundamentally different ways to connect a main clause to a second action. The first way uses a full subordinate clause with a conjugated verb — Ich hoffe, dass du kommst (I hope that you come). The second way is more elegant and more economical: when both clauses share the same subject, the second verb can appear as an infinitive introduced by zu, without repeating the subject at all — Ich hoffe zu kommen (I hope to come). This construction is called the Infinitivsatz, and it is one of the most important and most frequently used structures in German above A2 level. It appears after a large set of specific verbs, after adjective constructions with sein, after noun phrases with haben, and in three powerful extended forms — um … zu, ohne … zu, and anstatt … zu — that allow you to express purpose, absence, and substitution with a single grammatical unit. Mastering this construction does not just make your German more correct — it makes it flow with the natural rhythm of educated, fluent speech and writing, replacing clunky repeated subjects and unnecessarily heavy dass-clauses with something precise and clean.

Why the Infinitive with zu Matters

It is everywhere in natural German: From casual conversation to formal writing, the infinitive with zu appears constantly — after verbs of planning, hoping, trying, beginning, stopping, promising, forgetting. Avoiding it forces you into heavier constructions that sound unnatural.
It eliminates unnecessary repetition: When both clauses share a subject, using a full dass-clause repeats information the listener already has. The infinitive construction strips the sentence to its essential meaning without any loss of clarity.
The separable verb rule is a common test point: The rule that zu is inserted between the prefix and the stem of a separable verb — anzufangen, aufzustehen, mitzukommen — is tested consistently in B1 and B2 examinations and is the point where learners most often make written errors.
The three extended constructions unlock complex meaning: Um … zu (in order to), ohne … zu (without doing), and anstatt … zu (instead of doing) are among the most expressive structures in the language — each packages a complete secondary action into a compact, subordinate form. Knowing all three fluently is a clear marker of B2 competence.

Understanding the Infinitive with zu

The basic construction — structure and word order

In an infinitive clause, the word zu is placed directly before the infinitive, and the infinitive moves to the very end of the clause. A comma separates the main clause from the infinitive clause whenever the infinitive clause contains any additional elements — objects, adverbs, or other words beyond just zu + verb. When the infinitive clause is very short and contains only zu + infinitive with no other elements, the comma is technically optional in German grammar — but it is widely expected in formal writing and examinations and should always be included.

Main clause	Infinitive clause	English
Ich versuche,	die Hausaufgaben zu machen.	I am trying to do the homework.
Er plant,	nächstes Jahr nach Berlin zu ziehen.	He plans to move to Berlin next year.
Es ist schön,	dich hier zu sehen.	It is nice to see you here.
Sie vergisst,	die Tür abzuschließen.	She forgets to lock the door.
Es ist wichtig,	pünktlich zu sein.	It is important to be punctual.

The zu-sandwich with separable verbs

When the infinitive belongs to a separable prefix verb, the word zu does not go in front of the whole verb — it slides between the prefix and the verb stem and is written as one word. This is one of the most distinctive features of the construction and one of the most tested in written German. The prefix and stem remain together; zu is simply inserted in the middle.

Separable verb	Infinitive with zu	Example sentence	English
aufstehen	aufzustehen	Es fällt mir schwer, früh aufzustehen.	It is hard for me to get up early.
anfangen	anzufangen	Es ist Zeit, mit der Arbeit anzufangen.	It is time to start working.
mitkommen	mitzukommen	Ich freue mich darauf, mitzukommen.	I am looking forward to coming along.
fernsehen	fernzusehen	Er hört auf, fernzusehen.	He stops watching television.
einladen	einzuladen	Sie plant, alle Freunde einzuladen.	She plans to invite all her friends.
aufräumen	aufzuräumen	Ich vergesse immer, mein Zimmer aufzuräumen.	I always forget to tidy my room.
abfahren	abzufahren	Der Zug droht, früher abzufahren.	The train threatens to depart earlier.

Verbs that require zu + infinitive

A specific and learnable set of verbs always connects to a following infinitive using zu. Learning these verbs as groups — verbs of planning and intention, verbs of emotion and hope, verbs of beginning and ending — makes the list far more manageable than memorising each entry individually.

Group	Verbs	Example
Planning and intention	planen, vorhaben, beabsichtigen, sich vornehmen	Ich habe vor, morgen früh aufzustehen.
Attempting and managing	versuchen, schaffen, wagen	Er versucht, jeden Tag Sport zu machen.
Beginning and stopping	anfangen, beginnen, aufhören, nicht aufhören	Sie fängt an, Gitarre zu lernen.
Hoping and wishing	hoffen, wünschen, sich freuen	Ich hoffe, dich bald wiederzusehen.
Forgetting and remembering	vergessen, sich erinnern	Vergiss nicht, die Tür abzuschließen.
Promising and threatening	versprechen, drohen, sich weigern	Er weigert sich, zu helfen.
Recommending and advising	empfehlen, raten, vorschlagen	Ich rate dir, früher zu schlafen.
Permitting and forbidding	erlauben, verbieten, gestatten	Sie erlaubt ihm, mitzukommen.

Adjective constructions with sein + zu + infinitive

A large group of adjective expressions using sein also introduce infinitive clauses with zu. These are extremely common in both spoken and written German and follow a fixed pattern: Es ist + adjective + zu + infinitive. The impersonal subject es is standard in these constructions.

Expression	Example	English
Es ist wichtig,	Es ist wichtig, regelmäßig zu schlafen.	It is important to sleep regularly.
Es ist schwierig,	Es ist schwierig, Deutsch zu lernen.	It is difficult to learn German.
Es ist verboten,	Es ist verboten, hier zu rauchen.	It is forbidden to smoke here.
Es ist möglich,	Es ist möglich, das Problem zu lösen.	It is possible to solve the problem.
Es ist schön,	Es ist schön, draußen spazieren zu gehen.	It is nice to go for a walk outside.
Es ist interessant,	Es ist interessant, neue Sprachen zu lernen.	It is interesting to learn new languages.
Es ist unmöglich,	Es ist unmöglich, das in einem Tag zu schaffen.	It is impossible to manage that in one day.

Noun constructions with haben + zu + infinitive

Many common noun expressions paired with haben also take a zu + infinitive. These constructions are natural and highly frequent in everyday German — they express desire, fear, time, intention, and opportunity.

Construction	Example	English
Lust haben,	Hast du Lust, heute Abend auszugehen?	Do you feel like going out this evening?
Zeit haben,	Ich habe keine Zeit, das zu lesen.	I have no time to read that.
Angst haben,	Sie hat Angst, alleine zu fahren.	She is afraid to travel alone.
die Absicht haben,	Er hat die Absicht, das Unternehmen zu gründen.	He intends to found the company.
die Möglichkeit haben,	Wir haben die Möglichkeit, früher abzureisen.	We have the opportunity to leave earlier.
den Mut haben,	Sie hatte den Mut, die Wahrheit zu sagen.	She had the courage to tell the truth.
Schwierigkeiten haben,	Er hat Schwierigkeiten, sich zu konzentrieren.	He has difficulty concentrating.

The three extended constructions — um … zu, ohne … zu, anstatt … zu

These three structures extend the basic infinitive construction by adding a framing conjunction that specifies the relationship between the main action and the infinitive. All three require that the subjects of both clauses be identical — if the subjects differ, a full subordinate clause with a conjugated verb must be used instead. The infinitive always goes to the very end.

Construction	Meaning	Same subject rule	If subjects differ
um … zu	in order to — expresses purpose	Both clauses share the same subject	Use damit + full clause
ohne … zu	without doing — the action does not accompany the main action	Both clauses share the same subject	Use ohne dass + full clause
anstatt … zu / statt … zu	instead of doing — substitution	Both clauses share the same subject	Use anstatt dass + full clause

Construction	Example (same subject)	Alternative with different subject
um … zu	Ich lerne Deutsch, um in Wien zu arbeiten. — I am learning German in order to work in Vienna.	Ich lerne Deutsch, damit meine Kinder es auch sprechen. — I am learning German so that my children speak it too.
ohne … zu	Er geht, ohne sich zu verabschieden. — He leaves without saying goodbye.	Er geht, ohne dass ich es weiß. — He leaves without my knowing it.
anstatt … zu	Sie schläft, anstatt zu arbeiten. — She sleeps instead of working.	Sie schläft, anstatt dass er arbeitet. — She sleeps instead of him working.

Extended construction examples in full sentences

Construction	Full example	English
um … zu	Er spart jeden Monat Geld, um sich ein neues Fahrrad kaufen zu können.	He saves money every month in order to be able to buy himself a new bicycle.
um … zu	Sie ist früh aufgestanden, um den ersten Zug zu nehmen.	She got up early in order to take the first train.
ohne … zu	Er hat die E-Mail abgeschickt, ohne sie nochmal zu lesen.	He sent the email without reading it again.
ohne … zu	Sie hat das ganze Essen aufgegessen, ohne ein Wort zu sagen.	She ate all the food without saying a word.
anstatt … zu	Er schaut auf sein Handy, anstatt zuzuhören.	He looks at his phone instead of listening.
anstatt … zu	Sie kauft neue Kleidung, anstatt die alte zu reparieren.	She buys new clothes instead of repairing the old ones.

The infinitive with zu in the perfect tense — zu + perfect infinitive

When the infinitive clause refers to a past action — something that happened before the action of the main clause — German uses a perfect infinitive instead of a simple infinitive. The perfect infinitive is formed with the past participle of the main verb plus the infinitive of haben or sein, and zu is placed before the auxiliary infinitive.

Structure	Example	English
zu + Partizip II + haben	Er behauptet, das nie gesagt zu haben.	He claims never to have said that.
zu + Partizip II + haben	Sie freut sich, die Prüfung bestanden zu haben.	She is happy to have passed the exam.
zu + Partizip II + sein	Er gibt vor, schon angekommen zu sein.	He pretends to have already arrived.
ohne + Partizip II + zu haben	Sie ging, ohne sich verabschiedet zu haben.	She left without having said goodbye.

When zu is not used — verbs that take a bare infinitive

A specific group of verbs connects directly to an infinitive with no zu. These are the modal verbs, the perception verbs, lassen, gehen, bleiben, helfen, and a few others. Knowing this group is as important as knowing the verbs that require zu, because mixing the two — using zu where it does not belong — is a common and noticeable error.

Verb group	Verbs	Example	English
Modal verbs	können, müssen, dürfen, wollen, sollen, mögen, möchten	Ich kann schwimmen.	I can swim.
Perception verbs	sehen, hören, fühlen, spüren	Ich höre sie singen.	I hear her singing.
lassen	lassen	Er lässt das Auto reparieren.	He has the car repaired.
Motion / position	gehen, kommen, bleiben, fahren	Sie geht schwimmen.	She goes swimming.
Teaching and learning	lehren, lernen	Er lernt kochen.	He is learning to cook.
Helping	helfen	Sie hilft ihm tragen.	She helps him carry.

Choosing between zu + infinitive and dass-clause

The single most important condition governing the zu + infinitive construction is the same-subject rule: it can only be used when the implied subject of the infinitive clause is the same as the subject of the main clause. When the subjects differ, a full dass-clause with a conjugated verb is required.

Situation	Construction	Example	English
Same subject	zu + infinitive	Ich hoffe, bald wiederzukommen.	I hope to come back soon.
Different subject	dass + conjugated verb	Ich hoffe, dass du bald wiederkommst.	I hope that you come back soon.
Same subject	um … zu	Ich lerne Deutsch, um hier zu arbeiten.	I am learning German in order to work here.
Different subject	damit + conjugated verb	Ich lerne Deutsch, damit mein Chef zufrieden ist.	I am learning German so that my boss is satisfied.
Same subject	ohne … zu	Er geht, ohne zu bezahlen.	He leaves without paying.
Different subject	ohne dass + conjugated verb	Er geht, ohne dass jemand es merkt.	He leaves without anyone noticing.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building Infinitive Clauses

Identify the main verb: Does it belong to the group of verbs that take zu + infinitive — verbs of planning, trying, hoping, beginning, stopping, forgetting? Or does it take a bare infinitive — modal verbs, perception verbs, lassen?
Check the subject rule: Is the implied subject of the infinitive the same as the subject of the main clause? If yes, use zu + infinitive. If no, use a dass-clause with a conjugated verb.
Check whether the verb is separable: If it is separable, insert zu between the prefix and the stem and write the whole thing as one word — aufzustehen, anzufangen, mitzukommen.
For the three extended constructions: Place um / ohne / anstatt at the start of the infinitive clause, add any objects or adverbs in the middle, and place zu + infinitive at the very end.
Place the comma correctly: A comma always separates the main clause from the infinitive clause when the infinitive clause contains any element beyond just zu + verb. When in doubt, use the comma — it is never wrong.
For past reference: If the action of the infinitive clause happened before the main clause action, use the perfect infinitive — Partizip II + zu haben or zu sein.

Pro Tip: The zu-sandwich with separable verbs is the single most common written error in B1 and B2 examinations. Every time you use a separable verb in an infinitive clause, mentally split the verb — take the prefix, hold it in one hand, take the stem in the other, and slide zu between them: auf + zu + stehen = aufzustehen. Write it as one unbroken word. No space, no hyphen.

Memory Pattern: The three extended constructions each answer a different question about the main action. Um … zu answers "why?" — what is the purpose? Ohne … zu answers "what was missing?" — what did not happen alongside it? Anstatt … zu answers "what was replaced?" — what should have happened but did not? If you always ask one of those three questions before choosing a construction, you will select the right one every time.

Exceptions & Special Cases

Verbs that optionally take either zu + infinitive or a bare infinitive

A small number of verbs sit on the boundary and can take either construction — the choice sometimes depends on the specific verb meaning and sometimes on regional variation or register.

Verb	With bare infinitive	With zu + infinitive	Difference
helfen	Er hilft mir tragen. — He helps me carry. (direct physical help)	Er hilft mir, das Problem zu lösen. — He helps me to solve the problem. (more abstract)	Both correct; zu more common with abstract or complex infinitives
lehren	Sie lehrt mich schwimmen. — She teaches me to swim.	Sie lehrt mich, Klavier zu spielen. — She teaches me to play the piano.	Both grammatically correct; zu more common in formal and written German
brauchen	Du brauchst das nicht tun. — You need not do that. (colloquial, without zu)	Du brauchst das nicht zu tun. — You do not need to do that. (standard)	The form without zu and without nicht is non-standard; standard German always uses brauchen + zu

Brauchen — the special case

Brauchen (to need) behaves differently from most verbs. In formal standard German, it takes zu + infinitive: Du brauchst das nicht zu tun. In colloquial spoken German, the zu is frequently dropped: Du brauchst das nicht tun. The form without zu is so widespread that it is often listed as an alternative in modern grammar references, but it remains non-standard in writing and formal examinations.

The infinitive clause with a subject of its own — apparent exception

Some constructions allow an infinitive clause to have its own explicit subject, making it look like the same-subject rule has been broken. This happens with verbs like bitten, erlauben, verbieten, auffordern, where the main clause has one subject and the infinitive clearly applies to someone else — but the other person is expressed as a Dative or Accusative object in the main clause rather than as the subject of a separate clause.

Example	English	Note
Ich bitte dich, früher zu kommen.	I ask you to come earlier.	dich is the Accusative object — the one who should come; the infinitive refers to dich
Sie erlaubt ihm, mitzukommen.	She allows him to come along.	ihm is the Dative object — the one allowed to come
Er fordert uns auf, pünktlich zu sein.	He asks us to be punctual.	uns is the Accusative object — the ones asked to be punctual

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Ich versuche anzufangen zu lernen.
- Fix: The zu-sandwich applies only once — to the separable verb itself. The infinitive of the activity goes separately with its own zu. Here, the structure should be: versuchen triggers zu + infinitive, and anfangen is separable. Correct: Ich versuche anzufangen zu lernen — actually both anzufangen and zu le