Questions & Answers about Wir haben einen Plan, unser Leben zu ändern.
Why is there a comma before unser Leben zu ändern?
The phrase unser Leben zu ändern is an infinitive clause that gives more information about einen Plan. When an infinitive clause with zu contains additional words (like the object unser Leben), it is separated from the main sentence by a comma, and the zu + infinitive verb gets pushed to the very end.
The translation says 'our lives', so why does the German use the singular unser Leben?
In English, we use the plural 'lives' because there are multiple people. But in German, when a group of people each have one of something (like a life, a head, or a heart), it is more natural to use the singular form. So, German literally says 'our life'.
Why is it einen Plan and not just ein Plan?
Plan is a masculine noun (der Plan). Here, it is the direct object of the verb haben (to have). This means it needs to be in the accusative case, so the article ein changes to einen.
Could I use the verb wechseln instead of ändern to mean 'to change' here?