Breakdown of Die Hygiene ist streng zu kontrollieren.
sein
to be
streng
strict
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
kontrollieren
to inspect
die Hygiene
the hygiene
Questions & Answers about Die Hygiene ist streng zu kontrollieren.
Why do we use ist ... zu kontrollieren instead of muss kontrolliert werden?
The structure sein + zu + infinitive is a passive alternative often used in formal writing. It means the exact same thing as muss streng kontrolliert werden (must be strictly checked). You will see this a lot in official rules, manuals, and formal instructions to express that something must or can be done.
Doesn't kontrollieren mean "to control"? Why is it translated as "checked"?
The verb kontrollieren is a tricky false friend! While it can sometimes mean "to control," it usually means "to check," "to inspect," or "to monitor." If you want to talk about having power or control over someone or something, German usually uses other verbs like steuern or beherrschen.
Why doesn't streng have an ending like strenge to match the feminine noun Die Hygiene?
Because streng is not describing the hygiene itself; it describes the action of the verb (how it is to be checked). This makes it an adverb. In German, adverbs always stay in their base, dictionary form and never take gender or case endings.
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