Breakdown of Die Sprachbarriere zu bewältigen, braucht viel Zeit.
die Zeit
the time
brauchen
to need
viel
much / a lot
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
die Sprachbarriere
the language barrier
bewältigen
to overcome (a task, crisis)
Questions & Answers about Die Sprachbarriere zu bewältigen, braucht viel Zeit.
The first part of the sentence is an infinitive clause. How does it function as the subject?
In German, an entire infinitive clause with zu can act as the logical subject of a sentence. Here, the action of Die Sprachbarriere zu bewältigen (Overcoming the language barrier) occupies Position 1. Because an action or concept is treated as a single, neuter idea, the main verb (braucht) must be conjugated in the third-person singular.
Why does the verb braucht come right after the comma? Doesn't a sentence normally start with a subject, then a verb?
It actually does! The entire infinitive phrase Die Sprachbarriere zu bewältigen acts as the subject, taking up the entirety of Position 1. Since German requires the conjugated verb to sit in Position 2, braucht must come immediately after the phrase.
Could I phrase this using es instead, placing the infinitive clause at the end?
Yes, that is a very common alternative structure. You can use es as a placeholder subject in Position 1 and move the infinitive clause to the end: Es braucht viel Zeit, die Sprachbarriere zu bewältigen. Placing the infinitive clause first, as in our example sentence, just puts more emphasis on the challenge itself rather than the time it takes.
Is the comma after bewältigen required?
Under current German spelling rules, the comma here is actually optional. When an infinitive clause simply acts as the subject or object of the main clause, you don't strictly need a comma. However, writers often include it (as in this example) because it visually separates the clauses and makes the sentence structure easier to read.
Could I use überwinden instead of bewältigen for "to overcome"?
Yes, die Sprachbarriere zu überwinden is also perfectly natural and very common. Bewältigen often implies tackling a large, ongoing task or mastering a complex challenge (like a workload or a crisis), while überwinden carries the image of getting over a specific obstacle. Both work wonderfully with Sprachbarriere.
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