Zu + Infinitive in German: When to Put zu Before a Verb

You need zu (here: to, before a verb) as soon as you want to say "I'm trying to...", "I forgot to...", "It's nice to...", or "Do you feel like...?" German builds these sentences with zu plus an infinitive at the end. The German name is der Infinitivsatz (infinitive clause).

Without this pattern, these everyday sentences come out in the wrong order. This post shows where zu goes, which words need it, what changes with separable verbs, and how to handle the comma.

Try it first

Pick the form that fits the gap. Read the short reason after each answer.

If some of those felt like guesses, the rules below will make them clear.

The basic pattern

• German puts zu + infinitive at the very end of the sentence.
• A comma separates the main clause from the zu part.
• The verb after zu is always the infinitive.
• The zu part has no subject of its own: the person in the main clause does the action.

The main clause (der Hauptsatz) comes first. Then you write a comma and add the rest of the idea, with zu plus the infinitive at the very end.

Ich versuche, jeden Tag zehn neue Wörter zu lernen. (I try to learn ten new words every day.)

English puts "to learn" close to "try." German puts zu lernen (to learn) at the end, after jeden Tag zehn neue Wörter (ten new words every day).

The main clause can also be in the Perfekt. The zu part does not change.

Ich habe vergessen, Milch zu kaufen. (I forgot to buy milk.)

The verb after zu is always the infinitive, such as zu lernen (to learn) or zu kaufen (to buy). It never changes for the person.

The infinitive clause has no subject of its own. In Ich hoffe, morgen früher nach Hause zu kommen. (I hope to get home earlier tomorrow), ich is the person who comes home. You do not repeat ich.

If you want to review infinitives and conjugated forms, see our German verb conjugation post.

Which verbs take zu?

• These verbs need zu before the second verb.
• The person in the main clause also does the action in the zu part.

Many verbs need zu before the second verb. In these examples, the person in the main clause also does the action in the infinitive clause.

You don't need to learn every verb at once. Start with versuchen (to try), vergessen (to forget), and Lust haben (to feel like). These three alone cover a lot of daily conversation.

What happens when someone else does the action?

• These verbs have a person after them.
• That person, not the subject, does the action in the zu part.
• The word order stays the same: zu + infinitive at the end.

Some verbs have a person after them. That person does the action in the zu part, not the person who starts the sentence.

With helfen (to help), the colleague prepares the presentation:

Ich helfe meinem Kollegen, die Präsentation vorzubereiten. (I help my colleague prepare the presentation.)

With empfehlen (to recommend), you should drink more water:

Die Ärztin empfiehlt mir, mehr Wasser zu trinken. (The doctor recommends that I drink more water.)

With erlauben (to allow), the people after the verb have the cat:

Unsere Vermieterin erlaubt uns, eine Katze zu haben. (Our landlady allows us to have a cat.)

With verbieten (to forbid), the people after the verb must not eat there:

Der Chef verbietet uns, am Schreibtisch zu essen. (The boss doesn't allow us to eat at our desks.)

With bitten (to ask, to request), the flatmate turns the music down:

Ich bitte meinen Mitbewohner, die Musik leiser zu machen. (I ask my flatmate to turn the music down.)

With einladen (to invite), the invited people have breakfast with Lena:

Lena lädt uns ein, am Sonntag mit ihr zu frühstücken. (Lena invites us to have breakfast with her on Sunday.)

The word order stays the same. Put the zu plus infinitive at the end.

How does es + adjective + zu work?

• Use Es ist (it is) + adjective, then a comma, then the zu part.
• Ich finde es (I find it) + adjective works the same way.
• es points forward to the zu part.

You can use Es ist (it is) plus an adjective, then add the infinitive clause after a comma. Here, es points forward to the zu part.

Es ist wichtig, genug zu schlafen. (It is important to get enough sleep.)

Es ist schön, am Sonntag lange zu frühstücken. (It is nice to have a long breakfast on Sunday.)

Es ist gefährlich, beim Autofahren aufs Handy zu schauen. (It is dangerous to look at your phone while driving.)

You can also use Ich finde es (I find it) plus an adjective. The es still points forward to the infinitive clause.

Ich finde es schwer, früh aufzustehen. (I find it hard to get up early.)

Ich finde es entspannend, nach der Arbeit zu kochen. (I find it relaxing to cook after work.)

Which nouns work with haben + zu?

• Some phrases with haben (to have) lead into a zu part: Lust haben (to feel like), Zeit haben (to have time), Angst haben (to be afraid).
• es macht Spaß (it is fun) works the same way.
• The second verb still goes at the end with zu.

Some useful noun phrases also lead into an infinitive clause. The second verb still goes at the end with zu.

Hast du Lust, heute Abend ins Kino zu gehen? (Do you feel like going to the cinema tonight?)

Morgens habe ich keine Zeit, Frühstück zu machen. (In the mornings I don't have time to make breakfast.)

Ich habe Angst, Fehler zu machen. (I'm afraid of making mistakes.)

Wir haben die Chance, eine größere Wohnung zu mieten. (We have the chance to rent a bigger flat.)

In meiner Firma habe ich die Möglichkeit, von zu Hause zu arbeiten. (At my company I have the option to work from home.)

Ich habe Probleme, die Durchsagen am Bahnhof zu verstehen. (I have trouble understanding the announcements at the station.)

You can also use Es macht Spaß (it is fun):

Es macht mir Spaß, neue Rezepte auszuprobieren. (I enjoy trying out new recipes.)

Where does zu go with separable verbs?

• With a separable verb, zu goes between the prefix and the verb: einzukaufen (to go shopping).
• It is written as one word.
• Verbs that never split keep zu separate: zu besuchen (to visit).

With a separable verb, zu goes between the prefix and the verb. Write it as one word.

A word like einzukaufen looks strange at first, but the rule never changes: prefix, then zu, then the rest of the verb.

Verbs that never split keep zu as a separate word. For example, besuchen (to visit) and verstehen (to understand) do not put zu inside the verb.

Ich habe vor, meine Oma zu besuchen. (I plan to visit my grandma.)

If you want to review how separable verbs work in other sentence patterns, see separable verbs in the word order post.

Do you need the comma, and can zu disappear?

• The comma is often optional, so always writing it is the simplest habit.
• helfen (to help) and lernen (to learn) can also be used without zu.
• All the other verbs in this post need zu.

In many sentences, the comma before the infinitive clause is optional. The simplest habit is to always write it. It is allowed in every sentence in this post, and it clearly shows where the zu part begins.

Two verbs can also appear without zu: helfen (to help) and lernen (to learn). This often happens when the second part is short.

Ich helfe dir, das Abendessen zu kochen. = Ich helfe dir das Abendessen kochen. (I'll help you cook dinner.)

Ich lerne, Auto zu fahren. = Ich lerne Auto fahren. (I'm learning to drive.)

With all the other verbs in this post, you need zu.

Which mistakes are common with zu + infinitive?

Most of these mistakes come from English word order. When you check a sentence, look at the last word first: it should be the infinitive with zu.

Practise zu + infinitive

Write four sentences about your own week. Write one with a verb such as Ich versuche, ... (I try to...), one where another person does the action such as Ich bitte ..., ... (I ask ... to...), one with Es ist (it is) plus an adjective, and one with Lust haben (to feel like) or Zeit haben (to have time).

Check that zu plus the infinitive is at the end. If you use a separable verb, check that zu is inside it. Then use the Sentence Order game to practise putting German words in the right order.