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Infinitivkonstruktionen — erweitert

C1Advanced infinitive constructions
Er behauptet, sie gesehen zu haben.

He claims to have seen her.

EXPLANATION

The core pattern is: a verb or adjective is followed by an infinitive with zu when German wants a compact, higher-register way to express obligation, tendency, or evaluation. The perfect infinitive (gesehen zu haben) points to an earlier action; the passive infinitive with zu werden (befördert zu werden) expresses a passive event or process involving the subject. A passive state is expressed with Partizip II + zu sein, as in befördert zu sein.

German infinitive constructions let you compress information without losing meaning. In advanced usage, haben + zu expresses obligation, sein + zu expresses possibility or necessity, and verbs like scheinen, pflegen, drohen and vermögen can govern an infinitive with zu.

STRUCTURE

haben (conjugated) + zu + Infinitiv / sein + zu + Infinitiv

Use this pattern for obligation or general necessity, often in formal style.

  • Du hast zu warten.You have to wait.
  • Das ist nicht zu vermeiden.That cannot be avoided.
  • Die Tür ist zu schließen.The door is to be closed.
scheinen / pflegen / drohen / vermögen + zu + Infinitiv

These verbs are not auxiliaries here; they control a dependent infinitive phrase.

  • Er scheint Bescheid zu wissen.He seems to know what is going on.
  • Sie pflegt abends zu lesen.She tends to read in the evening.
  • Der Zug droht auszufallen.The train threatens to be cancelled.
Infinitiv Perfekt: Partizip II + zu + haben / sein; Infinitiv Passiv: Partizip II + zu + werden

Use the perfect infinitive for earlier time and the passive infinitive with zu werden for a passive event or process involving the subject.

  • Er behauptet, sie gesehen zu haben.He claims to have seen her.
  • Sie hofft, befördert zu werden.She hopes to be promoted.
  • Wir freuen uns, den Auftrag bekommen zu haben.We are pleased to have received the order.

OVERVIEW

Overview of advanced infinitive constructions

StructureMeaningTime relationExample
haben + zu + Infinitivobligationsame time / generalDu hast zu lernen.
sein + zu + Infinitivpossibility / necessitysame time / generalDas ist nicht zu lösen.
Infinitiv Perfektearlier actionearlierEr behauptet, sie gesehen zu haben.
Infinitiv Passivpassive meaningoften future or contemporaneous / not necessarily completedSie hofft, befördert zu werden.

COMMON MISTAKES

  • Du hast warten.

    Du hast zu warten.

    With haben + zu, German expresses an obligation. A bare infinitive like warten sounds incomplete in this meaning.

  • Das ist nicht vermeiden.

    Das ist nicht zu vermeiden.

    sein + zu often means that something is possible or necessary in a general sense. Without zu, the sentence loses this compact passive meaning.

  • Er scheint angekommen zu haben.

    Er scheint angekommen zu sein.

    With ankommen, the perfect infinitive uses the auxiliary sein, not haben.

  • Sie hofft, befördert werden.

    Sie hofft, befördert zu werden.

    In the passive infinitive, zu must come before werden.

USAGE NOTES

  • haben + zu and sein + zu are common in formal writing and careful speech; they sound more compact than a full clause.
  • The perfect infinitive marks an action as earlier than the reference time; it does not usually require a past context, since it can occur with a present main verb, as in Er behauptet, sie gesehen zu haben.
  • The passive infinitive with zu werden often refers to a process or future event, but its interpretation depends on the surrounding verb and context; it is not inherently opposed to a completed state.
  • Do not confuse these forms with um zu, ohne zu and statt zu; those express purpose, absence or replacement, not obligation or time relations.

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