"It Remains To..."
To express impersonal expectations, open questions, or things that still need to happen, German uses the construction es bleibt followed by zu and an infinitive. This is a sophisticated way to say "it remains to be [done]" and is very common in scientific, medical, or formal contexts.
If the verb is separable, the zu gets tucked between the prefix and the root.
| to wait and see | abwarten |
| Based on the study, it remains to be seen whether the efficacy is high. | Aufgrund der Studie bleibt abzuwarten, ob die Wirksamkeit hoch ist. |
This structure is frequently used with verbs like hoffen (to hope) when discussing the potential of a new Wirkstoff (active ingredient) or Heilmittel (cure).
| It remains to be hoped that this active ingredient is a real cure. | Es bleibt zu hoffen, dass dieser Wirkstoff ein echtes Heilmittel ist. |
Weighing the Risks
Medical trials involve complex considerations. You can use this same structure with verbs like bedenken (to consider) to point out ongoing concerns, such as long-term (langfristig) side effects (die Nebenwirkungen).
| to consider (take into account) | bedenken |
| It remains to be considered that the long-term side effects are unknown. | Es bleibt zu bedenken, dass die langfristigen Nebenwirkungen unbekannt sind. |
The success of a clinical trial often depends on how the test subjects (die Probanden) react, which determines whether the drug gets official approval (die Zulassung).
| For the approval, it remains to be seen how the test subjects react. | Für die Zulassung bleibt abzuwarten, wie die Probanden reagieren. |
Open Questions with "zu klären" and "zu prüfen"
Often, es bleibt zu introduces a subordinate clause starting with an indirect question word (like welche) or ob (whether). This is especially useful for stating what researchers still need to clarify (klären) or test (prüfen), such as finding the correct dosage (die Dosierung).
| It remains to be clarified which dosage of the active ingredient is safe. | Es bleibt zu klären, welche Dosierung des Wirkstoffs sicher ist. |
| It remains to be tested whether the active ingredient works as a cure. | Es bleibt zu prüfen, ob der Wirkstoff als Heilmittel funktioniert. |