GCSE German · Verbs and tenses

Zu, um ... zu and ohne ... zu

Ich hoffe, Arzt zu werden, um Geld zu sparen, ohne zu fragen: the infinitive with zu.

55 GCSE-style practice questions

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Zu, um ... zu and ohne ... zu, explained point by point

Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.

  1. Use um ... zu for in order to

    Um opens the phrase and zu with the infinitive closes it, after a comma: Ich spare Geld, um ein Fahrrad zu kaufen, Ich gehe früh ins Bett, um gesund zu bleiben.

  2. Use ohne ... zu for without doing

    Er ist gegangen, ohne etwas zu sagen means He left without saying anything.

  3. Use statt ... zu for instead of doing

    Statt fernzusehen, lese ich ein Buch means Instead of watching TV, I read a book.

  4. Use zu with an infinitive after some verbs

    Verbs like beginnen, hoffen, versuchen, vergessen and vorhaben, and phrases like Lust haben and es ist wichtig, take zu and the infinitive at the end: Ich hoffe, Arzt zu werden, Es ist wichtig, gesund zu essen.

  5. Put zu inside a separable verb

    Zu goes between the prefix and the verb: um früh aufzustehen, Ich versuche, weniger fernzusehen.

  6. Leave zu out after a modal and after werden

    Modals and the future take the bare infinitive: Ich muss lernen, Ich werde lernen, never zu lernen.

Zu, um ... zu and ohne ... zu key terms

The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.

Infinitive with zu
An infinitive with zu before it, at the end of its phrase: zu spielen.
um ... zu
In order to: um Geld zu verdienen.
ohne ... zu
Without doing something, as in ohne zu fragen, without asking.
statt ... zu
Instead of doing: statt zu arbeiten.
Infinitive clause
A phrase built round an infinitive with zu, set off by a comma: Ich versuche, ruhig zu bleiben.

Common mistakes in Zu, um ... zu and ohne ... zu

The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.

  • Translating to in order to with für, as in Ich arbeite für Geld zu verdienen.

    In order to is um ... zu: Ich arbeite, um Geld zu verdienen.

  • Putting zu before a separable verb, as in zu aufstehen.

    With a separable verb, zu goes inside the verb: aufzustehen.

  • Adding zu after a modal, as in Ich kann zu schwimmen.

    A modal verb takes the bare infinitive with no zu: Ich kann schwimmen.

  • Putting the infinitive first, as in um zu kaufen ein Fahrrad.

    Zu and the infinitive go last: um ein Fahrrad zu kaufen.

Practice

Try a Zu, um ... zu and ohne ... zu question

A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.

Which word completes the sentence? Ich habe heute keine Zeit, ___. (I haven't got time to go shopping today.)

  1. zu einkaufen
  2. einkaufen zu
  3. einzukaufen
  4. ein zu kaufen
Show the answer and the working

Answer: einzukaufen

With a separable verb, zu goes between the prefix and the verb, all one word: einzukaufen.

  1. Einkaufen is separable.
  2. Zu slides in after the prefix.
  3. So einzukaufen, one word.

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