Infinitive clauses with ohne and anstatt
To describe an action that doesn't happen or is replaced by another, German uses infinitive clauses with ohne ... zu (without doing) and anstatt ... zu (instead of doing).
"ohne ... zu" (without doing)
To say you do something without doing something else, use ohne ... zu. Separate the clause from the main sentence with a comma. It begins with ohne and ends with zu immediately before the infinitive verb.
| The magician does the trick without revealing the secret. | Der Zauberer macht den Trick, ohne das Geheimnis zu verraten. |
Infinitive clauses are used when the subject is the same in both parts of the sentence. This structure also works with commands:
| Reveal the secret without hiding the coin! | Verrate das Geheimnis, ohne die Münze zu verstecken! |
"anstatt ... zu" (instead of doing)
Use anstatt ... zu when one action replaces another. The structure is exactly the same: place a comma, start the new clause with anstatt, and put zu + infinitive at the very end.
| He reads the book instead of doing magic. | Er liest das Buch, anstatt zu zaubern. |
Adding extra information
Any objects or extra details go between the opening ohne or anstatt and the closing zu + infinitive. No matter how long the phrase gets, the infinitive verb anchors the very end.
| The rabbit disappears without eating anything. | Das Kaninchen verschwindet, ohne etwas zu fressen. |
| The magician forgets the trick instead of practicing it. | Der Zauberer vergisst den Trick, anstatt ihn zu üben. |