Breakdown of Jeder Tisch ist nach dem Mittagessen gründlich zu desinfizieren.
sein
to be
der Tisch
the table
nach
after (in time)
das Mittagessen
the lunch
jeder
everyone / each
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
gründlich
thorough
desinfizieren
to disinfect
Questions & Answers about Jeder Tisch ist nach dem Mittagessen gründlich zu desinfizieren.
How does ist ... zu desinfizieren mean is to be disinfected or must be disinfected?
This structure is a formal alternative to the passive voice. Using a conjugated form of sein plus zu and an infinitive expresses that something either must be done or can be done. It is very common in official rules or instructions. You could also use a standard passive with a modal verb like Jeder Tisch muss desinfiziert werden, but this structure sounds more formal.
Why is the table in the nominative case (Jeder Tisch) instead of the accusative (Jeden Tisch)?
Because this sein plus zu construction works like a passive sentence. Even though the table is receiving the action of being cleaned, it is the grammatical subject of the sentence. Since Tisch is a masculine noun and is the subject, jeder takes the nominative -er ending.
Why does the phrase zu desinfizieren go at the very end?
German uses a sentence bracket. The conjugated verb ist takes the second position in the sentence, and the infinitive block zu desinfizieren is pushed to the very end. The details of when (nach dem Mittagessen) and how (gründlich) fit comfortably inside this bracket.
Just as a refresher, why does das Mittagessen become dem Mittagessen here?
The preposition nach is a dative preposition. It always forces the following noun into the dative case. Since Mittagessen is a neuter noun, its article changes from das to dem.
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