Often German students are insecure when they should be using “zu” before a verb. Find out in this article when and how to use “um … zu,” “statt … zu,” and “ohne … zu”.
“zu” in German
Many students have with “zu” before a verb because they do not know when to really use it. Because of this insecurity, they often get lost because they assume that the German “zu + verb” is the same as the English “to + verb,” and therefore, they simply adapt English grammar to German grammar. However, using another language’s grammar in any other language seldomly works out. This is why we will discuss “um … zu,” “statt … zu,” and “ohne … zu” in the following.
“um … zu” in German
In German, “um … zu” means “in order to.” If you decide to use this construction, you will have to use the same subject in the “um … zu” part, which you used in the main clause. If you do not have the same subject, you need to use “damit” instead. It is possible to start a sentence with “um … zu” in German, but you can also put it in the second part of your sentence. However, there are a few things you need to be aware of when forming a sentence with “um … zu”.
- The verb in the “um … zu” part takes the position at the end of the sentence.
- The verb that follows the “zu” needs to be in the infinitive form (the unchanged verb, e.g., machen)
- If you have a separable verb, the “zu” gets in between the prefix and the rest of the verb (einzuschlafen, auszusteigen, mitzumachen)
Examples:
1. Ich lerne viel, um den Test zu bestehen. – (I am learning a lot in order to pass the test.)
Um den Test zu bestehen, lerne ich viel.
2. Ich gehe einkaufen, um später Abendessen für meine Familie zu kochen. – (I go shopping in order to cook dinner for my family later.)
Um später Abendessen für meine Familie zu kochen, gehe ich einkaufen.
“statt … zu” in German
You can use “statt … zu” if you would like to express “instead of + verb.” Likewise the “um … zu” construction, you also need to have the same subject in both parts of your sentence. Moreover, you can also start a sentence with “statt … zu” or put it in the second part. In general, the rules of “um … zu” also apply to “statt … zu”.
- The verb in the “statt … zu” part takes the position at the end of the sentence.
- The verb that follows the “zu” needs to be in the infinitive form (the unchanged verb, e.g., machen)
- If you have a separable verb, the “zu” gets in between the prefix and the rest of the verb.
Examples:
1. Ich bin auf eine Party gegangen, statt für den Test zu lernen. – (Instead of studying for the test, I went to a party.)
Statt für den Test zu lernen, bin ich auf eine Party gegangen.
2. Ich habe ihr eine Sprachnachricht gesendet, statt sie anzurufen. – (Instead of calling her, I sent her a voice message.)
Statt sie anzurufen, habe ich ihr eine Sprachnachricht gesendet.
“ohne … zu” in German
By using “ohne … zu” you can say “without + verb.” Like the other two constructions, also with “ohne … zu” you need to have the same subject in both parts of your sentence. Likewise, you can also start a sentence with “ohne … zu” or put it in the second part.
- The verb in the “ohne … zu” part takes the position at the end of the sentence.
- The verb that follows the “zu” needs to be in the infinitive form (the unchanged verb, e.g., machen)
- If you have a separable verb, the “zu” gets in between the prefix and the rest of the verb.
Examples:
1. Ich bin zum Arzt gegangen, ohne einen Termin zu machen. – (I went to the doctor without making an appointment.)
Ohne einen Termin zu machen, bin ich zum Arzt gegangen.
2. Ich habe den Test bestanden, ohne viel dafür zu lernen. – (I have passed the test without having to learn a lot for it.)
Ohne viel dafür zu lernen, habe ich den Test bestanden.
The three “zu”-constructions
After reading this article, I hope that you know how to use all of the three constructions properly. In general, they all follow the same rules: This means that if you know one, you know them all! If you would like to broaden your German grammar knowledge a little bit more, check out when to use “damit” and “um … zu” in German
Bis bald!
Steffie
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