Breakdown of Du brauchst dich bei der Massage nur zu entspannen.
du
you (informal singular)
brauchen
to need
bei
at, near, with
sich entspannen
to relax
nur
only
zu
to (infinitive marker)
die Massage
the massage
Questions & Answers about Du brauchst dich bei der Massage nur zu entspannen.
How does the brauchen ... nur zu construction work in this sentence?
This construction is the German way of saying "you only need to" do something. Instead of using a modal verb like müssen, you use the verb brauchen, add nur (only) to the middle of the sentence, and put zu right before the infinitive verb at the very end (zu entspannen).
Why is the word dich in this sentence?
In German, the verb for "to relax" is reflexive: sich entspannen (literally "to relax oneself"). Because the subject is du (you), the matching reflexive pronoun is dich. While we usually just say "relax" in standard English, you must include the reflexive pronoun in German.
Why does it say der Massage if the word for massage is feminine (die Massage)?
The preposition bei always forces the following noun into the dative case. In this sentence, bei translates to "during." Because Massage is a feminine noun, the dative case changes its "the" article from die to der, making it bei der Massage.
What dictates the word order between dich, bei der Massage, and nur?
The reflexive pronoun dich prefers to be as close to the conjugated verb (brauchst) as possible. Context phrases like bei der Massage typically come next. Finally, the word nur sits right before the action it modifies, which is the infinitive block zu entspannen at the very end of the sentence.
Learn Du brauchst dich bei der Massage nur zu entspannen 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