Word
Die Tierpfleger haben das Protokoll streng einzuhalten.
Meaning
The zookeepers have to strictly follow the protocol.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Die Tierpfleger haben das Protokoll streng einzuhalten.
haben
to have
streng
strict
das Protokoll
the protocol
der Tierpfleger
the zookeeper
Questions & Answers about Die Tierpfleger haben das Protokoll streng einzuhalten.
Why does this sentence use haben ... einzuhalten instead of müssen ... einhalten?
haben + zu + infinitive is a formal way to express an active obligation or rule, much like 'have to' in English. It means basically the same thing as using the modal verb müssen, but it sounds more strict and official, which fits perfectly with the context of a workplace protocol.
Why is it spelled einzuhalten as one word instead of zu einhalten?
The base verb here is einhalten (to follow or adhere to), which is a separable verb. Whenever you use zu with a separable verb, the zu gets sandwiched directly between the separable prefix (ein) and the main verb (halten), combining into a single word: einzuhalten.
Is Die Tierpfleger singular or plural here?
It is plural here, which we can tell from the plural verb form haben. The noun der Tierpfleger (the zookeeper or animal caretaker) is a masculine noun ending in -er. These types of nouns typically do not change their spelling in the plural.
What exactly does einhalten mean in this context?
While the root verb halten means 'to hold' or 'to stop', the separable verb einhalten means 'to observe', 'to adhere to', or 'to comply with'. You will often see it used alongside words like rules, deadlines, or protocols.