Word
Der Hacker versucht, sich einzuloggen.
Meaning
The hacker tries to log in.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Der Hacker versucht, sich einzuloggen.
versuchen
to try
zu
to (infinitive marker)
sich einloggen
to log in
der Hacker
the hacker
Questions & Answers about Der Hacker versucht, sich einzuloggen.
Why is it einzuloggen instead of zu einloggen?
Because einloggen is a separable verb (ein + loggen). When you use a separable verb in an infinitive phrase with zu (to), the zu gets squeezed between the prefix and the verb stem, forming one single word: einzuloggen.
Why do we need the reflexive pronoun sich here?
In English, you just "log in," but in German, the verb is reflexive: sich einloggen. You literally are saying that the hacker is trying to log himself in.
Why is there a comma before sich einzuloggen?
In German, an extended infinitive clause (a phrase with zu + verb plus additional elements) is typically set off by a comma. Since this clause includes the reflexive pronoun sich alongside einzuloggen, the comma helps separate the action from the main clause (Der Hacker versucht).
How would I connect this to a clause with sonst (otherwise) to practice this lesson's grammar?
You could add a consequence to the end of the sentence! For example: Der Hacker versucht, sich einzuloggen, sonst bekommt er keinen Zugriff (The hacker tries to log in, otherwise he gets no access). Remember that sonst is an adverbial connector, meaning it takes up position 1 in the new clause. This forces the conjugated verb (bekommt) to sit right next to it in position 2.