Breakdown of Wenn der Winzer im Weinberg ist, gilt es, die Trauben sorgfältig zu prüfen.
sein
to be
es
it
im
in the (used with months) / in the (contraction of in + dem)
wenn
if / when (conditional, not a question word)
die Traube
the grape
zu
to (infinitive marker)
prüfen
to check / to test
es gilt, ... zu
it is necessary to (in 'es gilt, ... zu')
der Winzer
the winemaker
der Weinberg
the vineyard
sorgfältig
careful (meticulous, thorough)
Questions & Answers about Wenn der Winzer im Weinberg ist, gilt es, die Trauben sorgfältig zu prüfen.
How does the phrase gilt es, ... zu prüfen express obligation in this sentence?
The construction es gilt, ... zu + infinitive (here, zu prüfen) is a formal, impersonal way to express that something must be done. It translates roughly to 'it is necessary to' or 'the task at hand is to'. It is a more elegant, advanced alternative to simply saying man muss die Trauben prüfen.
Why is the word order gilt es rather than es gilt right after the comma?
This happens because of the German verb-second (V2) rule. The entire subordinate clause (Wenn der Winzer im Weinberg ist) acts as one block occupying the first position of the main sentence. Therefore, the main verb (gilt) must take the second position, pushing its subject (es) immediately after it.
Could I use Als instead of Wenn here to mean 'When'?
No, you have to use Wenn here. In German, als is strictly reserved for a single, one-time event in the past (like 'When I was a child'). Because this sentence describes a general condition or a recurring event in the present ('Whenever the winemaker is...'), Wenn is the only correct choice.
What is the difference between using prüfen and kontrollieren to mean 'to check' in this context?
While both mean 'to check', prüfen implies evaluating the quality, condition, or properties of something—which is exactly what a winemaker does to see if grapes are healthy or ripe. kontrollieren often has a stricter tone of enforcing rules, supervising, or verifying compliance, like a ticket inspector on a train.
Learn Wenn der Winzer im Weinberg ist, gilt es, die Trauben sorgfältig zu prüfen and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free