Breakdown of Wir üben die Illusion, anstatt das Geheimnis zu verraten.
wir
we
das Geheimnis
the secret
zu
to (infinitive marker)
üben
to practice
verraten
to reveal
anstatt
instead of
die Illusion
the illusion
Questions & Answers about Wir üben die Illusion, anstatt das Geheimnis zu verraten.
Why do we use anstatt ... zu here instead of just anstatt?
When 'instead of' is followed by an action (like 'revealing'), you must use anstatt ... zu plus the infinitive verb. If 'instead of' were followed by a noun, like 'instead of a secret', you would just use the preposition anstatt on its own.
Why does das Geheimnis come before zu verraten?
In German infinitive clauses, the verb phrase (zu verraten) gets pushed to the very end of the sentence. The object of that action, das Geheimnis (the secret), is tucked between anstatt and the verb at the end.
English uses the '-ing' form ('revealing'). Why is verraten in its basic dictionary form?
German doesn't have a direct equivalent to the English '-ing' verb form. When translating 'instead of doing' or 'without doing' something, German simply uses anstatt ... zu or ohne ... zu with the basic infinitive form of the verb.
Is the comma before anstatt strictly necessary?
Yes! In German, you must use a comma to separate the main clause (Wir üben die Illusion) from an infinitive clause that starts with words like anstatt, ohne, or um.
Learn Wir üben die Illusion, anstatt das Geheimnis zu verraten and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free