Word
Pflegt der Abt nach dem Abendessen lange zu beten?
Meaning
Is the abbot accustomed to praying for a long time after dinner?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Pflegt der Abt nach dem Abendessen lange zu beten?
lange
for a long time, long
nach
after (in time)
das Abendessen
the dinner
zu
to (infinitive marker)
Questions & Answers about Pflegt der Abt nach dem Abendessen lange zu beten?
How does pflegen change its meaning when used with zu?
The verb pflegen usually means to care for or to maintain. However, when paired with zu and an infinitive (like zu beten), it becomes a formal way to express a habit, meaning to be accustomed to doing something. It is mostly used in written or formal German. In casual speech, you would simply use an adverb like normalerweise or gewöhnlich instead.
Can I drop the zu and just say Pflegt der Abt lange beten?
No, the zu is strictly required for this grammatical structure. If you drop the zu, the sentence becomes grammatically incorrect. Without the zu infinitive construction, pflegen can only mean to care for or nurse someone or something.
Why is lange used here instead of lang?
When describing an action that happens for a long period of time, you use the adverb lange (for a long time). Lang without the -e is generally used as an adjective to describe the physical length of a noun, such as ein langer Tisch (a long table).
What dictates the word order of zu beten in this yes/no question?