Infinitive Clauses (um...zu, ohne...zu, anstatt...zu)

Infinitive clauses (Infinitivsätze) are a concise and elegant way to express purpose, manner, and alternatives in German. They use zu + infinitive at the end of the clause and have no separate subject — the subject is always the same as in the main clause. This lesson covers the three main infinitive clause types: um...zu, ohne...zu, and anstatt...zu, along with other important zu + infinitive constructions.

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The Basic zu + Infinitive

Before exploring the three main types, let's understand the basic zu + infinitive construction:

Structure

Main clause + comma + ... + zu + Infinitive

Examples

Example	Translation
Ich versuche, Deutsch zu lernen.	I am trying to learn German.
Er hat vor, morgen abzureisen.	He plans to depart tomorrow.
Es ist schwer, früh aufzustehen.	It is hard to get up early.
Ich habe keine Lust, heute zu arbeiten.	I do not feel like working today.

With Separable Verbs

For separable verbs, zu is inserted between the prefix and the verb stem:

Separable Verb	zu + Infinitive
anfangen (to begin)	anzufangen
aufstehen (to get up)	aufzustehen
mitkommen (to come along)	mitzukommen
einkaufen (to shop)	einzukaufen
fernsehen (to watch TV)	fernzusehen

Example: Er versucht, früh aufzustehen. (He is trying to get up early.)

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um...zu + Infinitive (in order to)

Um...zu expresses purpose — why someone does something:

Structure

Main clause + comma + um + ... + zu + Infinitive

Examples

Example	Translation
Ich lerne Deutsch, um in Deutschland zu arbeiten.	I am learning German in order to work in Germany.
Er spart Geld, um ein Auto zu kaufen.	He is saving money in order to buy a car.
Sie geht ins Fitnessstudio, um fit zu bleiben.	She goes to the gym in order to stay fit.
Wir fahren früh los, um den Stau zu vermeiden.	We are leaving early in order to avoid the traffic jam.
Ich rufe an, um einen Termin zu vereinbaren.	I am calling in order to make an appointment.

um...zu vs damit

Both express purpose, but they differ in one crucial way:

Construction	Same subject?	Example
um...zu	Yes (both clauses, same subject)	Ich lerne, um eine gute Note zu bekommen.
damit	No (different subjects possible)	Ich spreche langsam, damit du mich verstehst.

If the subjects are different, you must use damit (with verb-final word order, not zu + infinitive):

• Ich erkläre das, damit du es verstehst. (I am explaining this so that you understand it.) — Different subjects: ich and du
• Ich erkläre das, um es zu verstehen. — This would mean: I am explaining this in order to understand it myself.

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ohne...zu + Infinitive (without doing)

Ohne...zu means "without doing something":

Structure

Main clause + comma + ohne + ... + zu + Infinitive

Examples

Example	Translation
Er ging weg, ohne ein Wort zu sagen.	He left without saying a word.
Sie aß den Kuchen, ohne mich zu fragen.	She ate the cake without asking me.
Man kann nicht lernen, ohne Fehler zu machen.	One cannot learn without making mistakes.
Er fuhr los, ohne sich anzuschnallen.	He drove off without buckling up.
Sie verließ das Haus, ohne das Licht auszumachen.	She left the house without turning off the light.

ohne...zu vs ohne dass

Just like um...zu vs damit, use ohne dass when the subjects are different:

• Er ging, ohne sich zu verabschieden. (He left without saying goodbye.) — Same subject
• Er ging, ohne dass ich es bemerkte. (He left without me noticing.) — Different subjects

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anstatt...zu / (an)statt...zu + Infinitive (instead of doing)

(An)statt...zu means "instead of doing something":

Structure

Main clause + comma + (an)statt + ... + zu + Infinitive

Both anstatt and statt are correct; statt is more common in everyday German.

Examples