Breakdown of Die zu erledigende Recherche dauert lange.
lange
for a long time, long
dauern
to last / to take (time)
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
erledigen
to get done
die Recherche
the research
Questions & Answers about Die zu erledigende Recherche dauert lange.
Why is it zu erledigende and not just erledigende?
Adding zu in front of the present participle (erledigend) creates the Gerundivum. This structure acts like an adjective to describe something that must or can be done. It gives a passive, obligatory meaning like 'the research that is to be done' rather than an active one like 'the finishing research'.
How do we determine the ending on zu erledigende?
The Gerundivum acts exactly like a normal attributive adjective (an adjective that comes directly before a noun). Since Recherche is a feminine noun in the nominative case, and it follows the definite article Die, the phrase takes the weak adjective ending -e.
How would I say this using a relative clause instead of the Gerundivum?
You could say Die Recherche, die erledigt werden muss, dauert lange or Die Recherche, die zu erledigen ist, dauert lange. The Gerundivum is just a more compact, elegant way to express these passive obligations, and is frequently used in formal or written German.
Why is lange used here instead of lang?
lange is an adverb meaning 'for a long time' and it modifies the verb dauert here. lang is typically used as an adjective to describe physical length, like ein langer Weg. When talking about the duration of an event, lange is the correct choice.
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