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### Infinitive Clauses with Objects

When you advise, ask, or encourage someone to do something, that person is the object of the main clause, but the logical subject of the action they will perform. 

Instead of a complex *dass* (that) clause, you can use an infinitive clause. The main clause is followed by a comma, and the infinitive clause ends with **zu** + the infinitive verb.

For example, with the dative verb **raten** (to advise), the dative object (*dem Chor*) performs the action:

{{item:886294}}

### Verbs of Asking, Encouraging, and Persuading

Many verbs that trigger this structure take an accusative object, such as **auffordern** (to ask to do something), **ermutigen** (to encourage), and **überreden** (to persuade).

Notice how the accusative object (*uns*, *einander*) performs the action in the infinitive clause:

{{item:886297}}

{{item:886300}}

### Separable Verbs and Negation

For separable verbs, **zu** is squeezed between the prefix and the verb stem to form a single word. 

For example, **einatmen** (to breathe in) becomes **einzuatmen**:

{{item:886307}}

To tell someone *not* to do something, place **nicht** right before the **zu** + infinitive:

{{item:886310}}

Infinitive clauses with objects (zu)

adjective

adverb

auxiliary verb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Definite articles and gender (der, die, das)

Indefinite articles (ein, eine)

Regular verbs and statement word order (ich -e, er -t)

The second person (du -st, Sie -en)

Yes/No questions

The verb 'to have' (habe, hast, hat)

Plural pronouns and regular verbs (wir, ihr, sie)

Plural 'to be' and 'to have' (sind, haben)

Plural nouns and the plural article (die)

Sentence negation (nicht)

Noun negation (kein, keine)

Question words (wer, was, wo, wie)

Numbers 0 to 12 (null, eins, zwei)

The accusative case (den, die, das)

Indefinite accusative articles (einen, keinen)

Direct object pronouns (mich, dich, ihn)

There is / there are (es gibt)

Vowel changes: e to i/ie (er spricht, sie liest)

Vowel changes: a to ä (er fährt)

Weather and conditions (es regnet)

First- and second-person possessives in the nominative (mein, dein, Ihr)

First- and second-person possessives in the accusative (meinen, deinen, Ihren)

Third-person and plural possessives (sein, ihr, unser, euer)

Possession with names (Annas Auto)

Demonstrative pronouns (dieser, diese, dieses)

Expressing preference (gern, lieber)

Asking about direction and origin (woher, wohin)

Expressing ability (können)

Polite requests (möchten)

Expressing intention (wollen)

Modal verbs of obligation and permission (müssen, dürfen)

Separable prefix verbs

Adverbs of frequency (immer, oft, manchmal, nie)

The Dative case and definite articles (dem, der, den)

Dative indefinite and negative articles (einem, einer, keinem)

Dative personal pronouns (mir, dir, ihm, ihr...)

Dative verbs (helfen, danken, gefallen, schmecken)

Dative prepositions (aus, bei, mit, nach...)

Accusative prepositions (für, ohne, gegen)

Two-way prepositions for location (in, an, auf...)

Informal singular imperative (mach, komm)

Plural and formal imperative (macht, machen Sie)

Coordinating conjunctions (und, oder, aber, denn)

Simple past of sein and haben (war, hatte)

The perfect tense: regular verbs (gemacht, gespielt)

Past tense: irregular verbs (ge-...-en)

The perfect tense: mixed verbs (gebracht, gekannt)

The perfect tense with sein (ist gegangen)

The perfect tense: separable verbs (eingekauft)

The perfect tense: inseparable and -ieren verbs (besucht, studiert)

Informal singular commands (mach, lern)

Numbers 13 to 20 (dreizehn to zwanzig)

Counting by tens to 100 (dreißig, vierzig)

Telling time (Uhr, halb, Viertel, vor, nach)

Numbers 21 to 99 (einundzwanzig, zweiunddreißig)

Greetings and farewells

Thank you, sorry and good wishes

Everyday replies

Numbers 100 to 1,000,000 (hundert, tausend...)

Becoming and getting (werden)

The impersonal pronoun (man)

Indefinite pronouns (jemand, niemand...)

Time sequence prepositions (vor, nach, bei)

Time span prepositions (von... bis, seit, für)

Adverbs of sequence (zuerst, dann, danach)

Two-way prepositions for direction (in, auf, an...)

Directional adverbs (hin, her)

Placement verbs (setzen, stellen, legen)

Months of the year (Januar, Februar)

The four seasons (Frühling, Sommer)

Time prepositions and indefinite pronouns (an, in, um)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 19th (am ersten)

Ordinals 20th and beyond (-ste, -sten)

Placement vs. location verbs (stellen vs. stehen)

Accusative reflexive pronouns (mich, dich, sich)

Accusative reflexive verbs (sich freuen)

Dative reflexive pronouns (mir, dir, sich)

Dative reflexive verbs (sich etwas merken)

Ordinal numbers 11th to 19th (-te)

Temporal prepositions (an, in, um)

Double objects with nouns

Double objects with pronouns

The modal verb for advice (sollen)

Simple past of modal verbs (musste, wollte...)

Simple past of common irregulars (wurde, wusste, es gab)

Adverbial connectors of consequence (deshalb, darum...)

Subordinate clauses for statements (dass)

Question	Answer
to advise	raten
the choir	der Chor
The conductor advises the choir to sing more quietly.	Der Dirigent rät dem Chor, leiser zu singen.
to ask (to do something)	auffordern
the cue (theater, music)	der Einsatz
He asks us to wait for the cue.	Er fordert uns auf, auf den Einsatz zu warten.
to encourage	ermutigen
the melody	die Melodie
We encourage each other to rehearse the melody one more time.	Wir ermutigen einander, die Melodie noch einmal zu proben.
the soprano	der Sopran
the note (musical)	der Ton
I encourage the soprano to sing the high note.	Ich ermutige den Sopran, den hohen Ton zu singen.
to breathe in	einatmen
We advise you to breathe in deeply, although you are getting nervous.	Wir raten dir, tief einzuatmen, obwohl du nervös wirst.
The singer misses the cue because he is not paying attention.	Der Sänger verpasst den Einsatz, weil er nicht aufpasst.
The conductor asks the choir to breathe in together.	Der Dirigent fordert den Chor auf, gemeinsam einzuatmen.
to persuade	überreden
You persuade me to sing this note more loudly.	Ihr überredet mich, diesen Ton lauter zu singen.
She encourages us not to miss the cue.	Sie ermutigt uns, den Einsatz nicht zu verpassen.
I advise you to breathe in calmly before the song.	Ich rate Ihnen, vor dem Lied ruhig einzuatmen.
The choir sings every note perfectly.	Der Chor singt jeden Ton perfekt.
I persuade the soprano to sing the melody.	Ich überrede den Sopran, die Melodie zu singen.