I. Theory
The preposition zu is often found before infinitives in German, much like “to” is in English. However, in German, zu is not present when there is a modal verb plus an infinitive. Therefore, zu is most frequently seen when the infinitive in question is in its own clause (an Infinitivsatz) or used in conjunction with a verb that is not a modal verb.For Example:
| Ich möchte Deutsch lernen (no “zu” due to modal verb). I would like to learn German. |
But
| Ich versuche, Deutsch zu lernen. I am trying to learn German. |
II. Verbs often found with “zu” + infinitive
There is a wide range of verbs/expressions that are found in conjunction with Infinitivesätze. This lesson focuses on four of them: versuchen, sich weigern, sich entscheiden, and warnen.Versuchen
| Ich hatte gestern versucht, mich mit ihm in Verbindung zu setzen. I tried to get in contact with him yesterday. Wir versuchten, das Dorf zu Fuß zu erreichen. We tried to reach the village on foot. |
Sich weigern
| Ich weigere mich, diese Woche Überstunden zu machen. I refuse to work overtime this week. Nach einer Stunde weigerten wir uns, noch länger auf das Essen im Restaurant zu warten. After an hour, we refused to wait for the food at the restaurant any longer. |
Sich entscheiden
| Habt ihr euch entschieden, im Sommer nach Paris zu reisen? Have you decided to travel to Paris in the summer? Der General hat sich entschieden, die Stadt aufzugeben. The general decided to surrender the city. |
Warnen / Warnen vor
| Der Polizist warnte ihn, langsamer zu fahren. The police officer warned him to drive slower. Die Schüler wurden von der Lehrerin davor gewarnt, während der Prüfung zu schummeln. The students were warned by the teacher not to cheat during the test. |