Breakdown of Die Weinlese ist anstrengend, aber es gilt, nicht aufzugeben.
sein
to be
es
it
aber
but
nicht
not
anstrengend
exhausting
zu
to (infinitive marker)
aufgeben
to give up (surrender, quit)
die Weinlese
the grape harvest
es gilt, ... zu
it is necessary to (in 'es gilt, ... zu')
Questions & Answers about Die Weinlese ist anstrengend, aber es gilt, nicht aufzugeben.
How does es gilt translate to "the challenge is" in this sentence?
The structure es gilt, ... zu followed by an infinitive is a fixed, slightly formal way to express an impersonal obligation. While gelten usually means "to be valid," this specific phrase translates best to "it is necessary to," "the task is to," or "the challenge is to." In this sentence, it conveys that not giving up is the primary requirement right now.
Why is aufzugeben written as a single word instead of zu aufgeben?
Because aufgeben (to give up) is a separable verb. When you form a zu infinitive with a separable verb, the zu must be wedged exactly between the separable prefix (auf) and the verb stem (geben). The entire combination is always written together as one continuous word: aufzugeben.
The word for "grape harvest" is Weinlese. Doesn't lesen usually mean "to read"?
Yes, but the original historical meaning of lesen was "to gather" or "to pick." Over time, picking out letters and words became "reading," but the old meaning of gathering survives in agricultural and specialized terms. You will see it in die Weinlese (gathering the grapes) and wine classifications like Auslese (selected harvest).
Why is the comma before nicht aufzugeben necessary?
In German, infinitive clauses with zu are generally separated by a comma if they depend on a noun, a pointing word (like darauf), or, as in this case, the impersonal es. The comma clarifies the sentence structure, marking off nicht aufzugeben as the specific action that is required by es gilt.
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