German · B1 · Everyday language
Trying Planning Remembering in German
Use these gentle everyday phrases to talk about intentions, efforts, hopes and forgotten tasks. German uses zu-infinitive complements after versuchen, planen, hoffen and vergessen.
What you'll learn
- Talk about trying, planning, hoping and forgetting.
- Build zu-infinitive complements with the correct word order.
- Place zu inside separable verbs such as aufräumen and mitkommen.
- Distinguish complements from purpose clauses with um ... zu and omission clauses with ohne ... zu.
German phrases for trying planning remembering
Ich versuche, jeden Abend mit dir zu lesen.
I'm trying to read with you every evening.
Versuchen + zu describes an effort. German uses the present tense for both 'I try' and 'I'm trying'.
Du versuchst, deinen Schreibtisch vor den Hausaufgaben aufzuräumen.
You're trying to tidy up your desk before homework.
Aufräumen is separable: zu goes between auf and räumen.
Wir planen, deinen Freund am Freitag zu uns einzuladen.
We're planning to invite your friend over on Friday.
Zu uns means 'to our place'. For a female friend, use deine Freundin.
Ich plane, dich nach dem Fußball abzuholen.
I'm planning to pick you up after football.
Abholen becomes abzuholen. For 'after football practice' specifically, say nach dem Fußballtraining.
Du hoffst, dein Buch diese Woche zu Ende zu lesen.
You're hoping to finish your book this week.
Zu Ende lesen means 'to finish reading'. The first zu belongs to zu Ende; the second marks the infinitive.
Ich hoffe, bei deinem Klassenausflug mitzukommen.
I'm hoping to come along on your class trip.
Mitkommen means 'to come along'; its zu-infinitive is mitzukommen.
Du hast vergessen, dein Lesebuch einzupacken.
You forgot to pack your reading book.
Hast vergessen is the conversational past form. Einpacken becomes einzupacken.
Ich habe vergessen, deine Sporttasche mitzubringen.
I forgot to bring your sports bag along.
Habe vergessen describes the forgotten task. Mitbringen becomes mitzubringen.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
versuchen
to try
Use versuchen + zu-infinitive to describe trying to do something.
planen
to plan
Use planen + zu-infinitive for an intended action.
hoffen
to hope
Use hoffen + zu-infinitive for something the speaker wants to happen.
vergessen
to forget
Conversational past: ich habe vergessen, du hast vergessen.
aufräumen
to tidy up
Separable verb: auf + räumen → aufzuräumen.
einladen
to invite
Separable verb: ein + laden → einzuladen.
abholen
to pick up; to collect
Separable verb: ab + holen → abzuholen.
mitkommen
to come along
Separable verb: mit + kommen → mitzukommen.
einpacken
to pack
Separable verb: ein + packen → einzupacken.
mitbringen
to bring along
Separable verb: mit + bringen → mitzubringen.
das Lesebuch
reading book; school reader
Often a school book containing reading texts. A general book for reading can be called ein Buch zum Lesen.
Complements after trying, planning, hoping and forgetting
The infinitive group tells us what someone tries, plans, hopes or forgets to do. In these patterns, its understood subject is the subject of the main clause. Do not repeat that subject. Use a comma before the expanded infinitive group.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Trying | versuchen, ... zu + infinitive | Ich versuche, jeden Abend zu lesen. |
| Planning | planen, ... zu + infinitive | Wir planen, deinen Freund einzuladen. |
| Hoping | hoffen, ... zu + infinitive | Du hoffst, dein Buch zu Ende zu lesen. |
| Forgetting | vergessen, ... zu + infinitive | Ich habe vergessen, deine Sporttasche mitzubringen. |
Word order and separable verbs
Place objects and details before the final infinitive. With an ordinary verb, zu is a separate word. With a separable verb, insert zu between the prefix and the verb and write the result as one word.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary verb | lesen → zu lesen | Ich versuche, mit dir zu lesen. |
| Separable verb with auf- | aufräumen → aufzuräumen | Du versuchst, deinen Schreibtisch aufzuräumen. |
| Separable verb with ein- | einpacken → einzupacken | Du hast vergessen, dein Lesebuch einzupacken. |
| Separable verb with mit- | mitkommen → mitzukommen | Ich hoffe, bei deinem Klassenausflug mitzukommen. |
Remembering a forgotten task
For a past instance of forgetting, use haben + vergessen. The task itself stays in the zu-infinitive form; it does not change to a past participle.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I forgot | ich habe vergessen, ... zu + infinitive | Ich habe vergessen, deine Sporttasche mitzubringen. |
| You forgot | du hast vergessen, ... zu + infinitive | Du hast vergessen, dein Lesebuch einzupacken. |
Complement, purpose or omission?
A complement names the intended or forgotten action. Um ... zu means 'in order to' and explains a purpose. Ohne ... zu means 'without doing' and describes an action that does not happen. Do not add um or ohne to the approved complement patterns.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Complement: what am I trying to do? | versuchen, ... zu | Ich versuche, jeden Abend zu lesen. |
| Purpose: why am I doing this? | um ... zu | Ich nehme ein Buch mit, um im Bus zu lesen. |
| Omission: what am I not doing? | ohne ... zu | Ich gehe los, ohne die Sporttasche mitzunehmen. |
More examples
Wir versuchen, morgen früher loszugehen.
We're trying to leave earlier tomorrow.
Losgehen is separable: los + zu + gehen.
Ich hoffe, dass du mitkommst.
I hope you'll come along.
The people differ: I hope, but you come along. Use dass with an explicit subject and the conjugated verb at the end.
Ich nehme ein Buch mit, um im Bus zu lesen.
I'm taking a book along so I can read on the bus.
Um ... zu explains the purpose of taking the book.
Ich gehe los, ohne die Sporttasche mitzunehmen.
I'm leaving without taking the sports bag along.
Ohne ... zu describes an omitted action. It does not necessarily mean that someone forgot.