Impersonal Obligation with es gilt
In formal or professional contexts, such as managing a busy grape harvest (die Weinlese), you can express necessary tasks or challenges using the impersonal phrase es gilt.
| it is necessary to (in 'es gilt, ... zu') | es gilt, ... zu |
This structure translates roughly to "it is necessary to", "the task is to", or "the challenge is to". It is followed by an infinitive clause using zu + [infinitive].
| Now the grape harvest is starting, and it is necessary to work swiftly. | Jetzt fängt die Weinlese an, und es gilt, rasch zu arbeiten. |
| It is necessary to monitor the barrel carefully. | Es gilt, das Fass sorgfältig zu überwachen. |
Word Order and Verb Forms
The phrase es gilt functions as a standard main clause. This means if you start the sentence with a dependent clause (like a wenn clause), the conjugated verb (gilt) must stay in the second position, directly after the comma, resulting in the inverted order gilt es.
| When the winemaker is in the vineyard, it is necessary to check the grapes carefully. | Wenn der Winzer im Weinberg ist, gilt es, die Trauben sorgfältig zu prüfen. |
If the infinitive verb is a separable verb, the zu is tucked directly between the separable prefix and the verb stem, written together as a single word.
| The challenge is to carefully sort out every sick vine in the vineyard. | Es gilt, jede kranke Rebe im Weinberg sorgfältig auszusortieren. |
Finally, if the necessary task involves multiple verbs, you can combine them using und. Just remember to apply zu to each infinitive.
| The task is to store the barrel in the cellar and monitor it carefully. | Es gilt, das Fass im Keller zu lagern und sorgfältig zu überwachen. |