In this lesson, you will learn all about the construction sein + zu + infinitive. What is the role of this construction, what does it mean, what are its competing forms and why does it belong to modal verbs.
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Passive
How to form the construction sein + zu + infinitive?
When is the construction sein + zu + Infinitive possible?
Other alternatives
Passive
If you have attained a higher level of the German language, you probably already know how to form the passive voice with modal verbs. Here’s an example of a passive sentence using modal verbs.
For exmple:
Die Rechnung muss noch bezahlt werden. – The bill still has to be paid.
Die Aufgabe kann gelöst werden. – The task can be solved.
Of course, the passive voice is very important in German and is often used in German, especially in formal writing like technical documents and journalism. It also appears in everyday speech, but less frequently than in English.
However, it is not always easy and not always particularly nice to express yourself in the passive voice even in written language, some other variant of that expression is always helpful.
To avoid excessive use of the passive, you can sometimes use substitutes for the passive, we have several types of substitutes, but in this lesson, we focus on the construction sein + zu + Infinitive. This construction has the sense of können, müssen or sollen. The English construction of ‘be to’ has a similar meaning.
How to form the construction sein + zu + infinitive?
The construction sein + zu + Infinitive is formed with the verb sein in the first person, and at the end of the sentence there is zu + verb in the infinitive:
Das Projekt ist bis Ende des Monats abzuschließen. – The project is to be completed by the end of the month.
Die Grammatikregeln sind ganz leicht zu verstehen. – The grammar rules are very easy to understand.
You must have already noticed that the verb sein is most often found in the 3rd person singular or plural, but there is a possibility that it can also be found in other persons:
Ich bin sofort ins Krankenhaus zu bringen. – I am immediately taken to hospital.
When the construction sein + zu + Infinitive is possible?
The construction sein + zu + Infinitive can be replaced with passive sentences with the modal verbs können, müssen, sollen and nicht dürfen. If something has to be done, then it can mean a duty or a necessity, but it can also be a possibility.
For example, sentence …
Das Zimmer ist abzuschließen.
And that means:
Das Zimmer kann abgeschloßen werden.
Or:
Das Zimmermuss abgeschloßen werden.
The first example emphasizes the ability or ability to solve problems. The second example deals with an obligation or need to solve a problem.
Even if we want to say that something is NOT allowed, we can use the passive substitution sein + zu + infinitive.
Example:
Dieser Raum ist nicht zu betreten.=Dieser Raum darf nicht betreten werden.
In diesem Bereich ist nicht zu rauchen.=In diesem Bereich darf nicht geraucht werden.
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Grammar content
Other alternatives
The construction sein + zu + infinitive can replace the passive construction primarily with the modal verb können. There are two more types of substitutes for the passive with the modal verb können, namely sich lassen and adjectives with the suffixes –bar and – lich. These pronouns are very often used instead of the passive.
Here is an example:
Die Aufgabe ist zu lösen.
Die Aufgabe lässt sich lösen.
Die Aufgabe ist lösbar.
= Die Aufgabe kann gelöst werden.
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