German A2 · Grammar cheat code
B1.1 · L13 · Infinitive Constructions
um…zu (purpose), ohne…zu (without), statt…zu (instead).
| Frame | Meaning | Example fragment |
|---|---|---|
| um … zu + Inf | in order to | um Geld zu sparen |
| ohne … zu + Inf | without (doing) | ohne zu fragen |
| statt … zu + Inf | instead of (doing) | statt zu schlafen |
Er arbeitet viel, um Geld zu sparen.
Sie ging, ohne sich zu verabschieden.
— Details —
The zu + Infinitiv bracket sits at the end. Other elements fill the middle.
Er lernt Deutsch, um in Wien zu arbeiten.
Sie geht schlafen, statt fernzusehen.
Questions
- What is the rule for Infinitive Constructions?
- um…zu (purpose), ohne…zu (without), statt…zu (instead).
- How do I use Infinitive Constructions?
- Word order: um/ohne/statt opens the bracket. zu + Infinitiv closes it at the end.
Before this lesson
Infinitiv with zu
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