Breakdown of Es wird verlangt, die Strafe sofort zu bezahlen.
es
it
bezahlen
to pay
sofort
immediately
zu
to (infinitive marker)
werden
to be (passive auxiliary + past participle)
verlangen
to demand
die Strafe
the fine
Questions & Answers about Es wird verlangt, die Strafe sofort zu bezahlen.
Why does the translation say "They demand" when the German sentence says Es wird (It is)?
This is the impersonal passive (unpersönliches Passiv). German uses Es wird verlangt (literally "It is demanded") when the action itself is important, but who is doing the demanding doesn't matter or isn't known. English often expresses this exact same idea by using a general "They" or "People".
Is the word Es the actual subject of this sentence?
No, Es is just a "dummy" placeholder. An impersonal passive sentence doesn't have a real subject. Because German verbs must be in the second position in a regular main clause, Es is used here simply to fill the first position. If you put another word first, the Es would completely disappear.
Why does the German sentence use zu bezahlen (to pay) while the English says "that the fine be paid"?
The German literally translates to "It is demanded to pay the fine immediately." English usually avoids saying "They demand to pay..." because it sounds like they are the ones who want to pay it. German is perfectly happy using an extended infinitive clause (zu bezahlen) here to show what action is required, even if a completely different person will perform it.
Why is there a comma before die Strafe?
The comma separates the main clause (Es wird verlangt) from the infinitive clause (die Strafe sofort zu bezahlen). In German, when an infinitive phrase includes extra words like objects (die Strafe) or adverbs (sofort), you generally need to set it off with a comma.
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