Breakdown of Der Anrufer scheint etwas verkaufen zu wollen.
etwas
something
wollen
to want
verkaufen
to sell
zu
to (infinitive marker)
scheinen
to seem
der Anrufer
the caller
Questions & Answers about Der Anrufer scheint etwas verkaufen zu wollen.
Why is zu placed between verkaufen and wollen?
In a zu-infinitive clause that includes a modal verb (here, wollen), the modal verb goes at the very end and takes the zu. The main verb (verkaufen) is placed immediately before it. So, while English says "to want to sell", German orders it literally as "sell to want" (verkaufen zu wollen).
How does scheinen connect to the rest of the sentence?
The verb scheinen (to seem) is used here with an extended infinitive clause. Scheint takes the regular second position in the sentence, and the entire action the caller seems to be doing (etwas verkaufen zu wollen) is pushed to the end, anchored by zu.
Can I drop the zu since wollen is a modal verb?
No, because the zu is triggered by the verb scheinen, not by the modal verb. Verbs like scheinen, brauchen, and versuchen always require a zu before the infinitive action they introduce, even if that action contains a modal verb.
Is there a simpler way to phrase this without stacking verbs at the end?
Yes, you can use an impersonal dass (that) clause instead: Es scheint, dass der Anrufer etwas verkaufen will. (It seems that the caller wants to sell something). Both versions are completely natural, but mastering the scheinen + zu construction used in this sentence is a great milestone for B2 learners.
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