Breakdown of Ohne Sprachbarriere zu kommunizieren, macht das Leben sehr einfach.
machen
to make, to do
sehr
very
ohne
without
einfach
easy / simple / simply, just
das Leben
the life
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
kommunizieren
to communicate
die Sprachbarriere
the language barrier
Questions & Answers about Ohne Sprachbarriere zu kommunizieren, macht das Leben sehr einfach.
Why does the verb macht come right after the comma?
In German main clauses, the conjugated verb must be in Position 2. The entire infinitive phrase Ohne Sprachbarriere zu kommunizieren acts as the subject of the sentence and takes up Position 1 in its entirety. Therefore, the verb macht must immediately follow it to take Position 2.
Why is the verb macht conjugated in the third-person singular?
When an infinitive clause acts as the subject of a sentence, it is always treated grammatically as a third-person singular noun, just like the pronoun es. That is why the sentence uses macht.
Is it possible to put the infinitive phrase at the end of the sentence instead?
Yes, you can move it to the end if you introduce a placeholder subject in Position 1. You could rewrite this as: Es macht das Leben sehr einfach, ohne Sprachbarriere zu kommunizieren. Putting the infinitive clause first, as in the original sentence, simply places more emphasis on the act of communicating.
Is the comma after kommunizieren mandatory here?
Yes. While commas around basic infinitive clauses are often optional in modern German, they are absolutely mandatory when the infinitive clause is introduced by certain words, including ohne (as in ohne... zu), um, statt, and anstatt.
Learn Ohne Sprachbarriere zu kommunizieren, macht das Leben sehr einfach and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free