Breakdown of Der Schmutz ist sofort zu entfernen.
sein
to be
sofort
immediately
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Schmutz
the dirt
entfernen
to remove
Questions & Answers about Der Schmutz ist sofort zu entfernen.
Why are we using ist ... zu entfernen instead of muss entfernt werden?
The structure sein + zu + infinitive is a common, slightly more formal alternative to using a modal verb with the passive voice. In this sentence, ist zu entfernen means the exact same thing as muss entfernt werden (must be removed). It is often used for official rules, manuals, or strong instructions.
Can sein + zu + infinitive also mean something 'can' be done? How do we know which it is here?
Yes, it can express either necessity (must) or possibility (can). You have to rely on context. Here, the word sofort (immediately) makes it clear that this is a command or necessity. If the sentence instead had an adjective like leicht (easily) or schwer (hard), it would usually express possibility, such as in Der Schmutz ist leicht zu entfernen (The dirt can be removed easily).
Where does the verb entfernen come from?
It is built from the adjective fern (far) and the inseparable prefix ent-, which often indicates removal or moving away. So entfernen literally means to make something far away, which translates perfectly to 'remove.'
If the dirt is having something done to it, why is Der Schmutz in the nominative case instead of accusative?
Even though the meaning is passive (the dirt is being removed), grammatically Der Schmutz is the subject of the verb ist. Just like in the English sentence 'The dirt is to be removed,' the dirt acts as the subject, so it must take the nominative case.
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