Breakdown of Wenn der Winzer die Trauben presst, gilt es, sorgfältig zu arbeiten.
es
it
arbeiten
to work
wenn
if / when (conditional, not a question word)
die Traube
the grape
zu
to (infinitive marker)
es gilt, ... zu
it is necessary to (in 'es gilt, ... zu')
der Winzer
the winemaker
sorgfältig
careful (meticulous, thorough)
pressen
to press (squeeze, compress)
Questions & Answers about Wenn der Winzer die Trauben presst, gilt es, sorgfältig zu arbeiten.
What exactly does gilt es mean here, and how is it different from saying muss man?
Es gilt combined with a zu-infinitive is a formal, impersonal expression meaning "it is necessary to," "the rule is to," or "the priority is to." While you could absolutely say ... muss man sorgfältig arbeiten, using es gilt elevates the tone. It focuses entirely on the requirement of the task rather than pointing to the people who must do it.
Why is the word order gilt es instead of es gilt right after the comma?
In a German main clause, the conjugated verb must be in the second position. The entire introductory subordinate clause (Wenn der Winzer die Trauben presst) occupies the first position. Therefore, the verb gilt must immediately follow the comma to take position two, pushing the subject es into position three.
Why is there a comma before sorgfältig zu arbeiten?
This is an extended infinitive clause. When an infinitive with zu is expanded by additional words—in this case, the adverb sorgfältig—it is separated from the main clause by a comma. This makes the sentence structure clearer and easier to read.
Since "wenn" translates to "when" here, could I also use als?
No. Als is strictly used for single, one-time events in the past (e.g., "when I was young"). Because this sentence describes a general, recurring action in the present tense, you must use wenn, which effectively means "whenever" or "if/when" in this context.
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