Breakdown of Toleranz zu zeigen, ist sehr wichtig.
sein
to be
sehr
very
wichtig
important
zeigen
to show
zu
to (infinitive marker)
die Toleranz
the tolerance
Questions & Answers about Toleranz zu zeigen, ist sehr wichtig.
Why is the verb ist right after the comma?
The entire infinitive phrase Toleranz zu zeigen acts as the subject of the sentence, taking up the entirety of Position 1. Because the finite verb must always be in Position 2 in a standard German main clause, ist immediately follows the phrase.
Could I phrase this sentence with es instead?
Yes! You can put the placeholder es in Position 1 and move the infinitive clause to the end: Es ist sehr wichtig, Toleranz zu zeigen. Putting the infinitive clause first, as in our example sentence, is just a way to put more emphasis on the action itself.
Is the comma after zeigen mandatory here?
According to modern German spelling rules, the comma is technically optional here, but it is highly recommended. It visually structures the sentence and makes it much easier to read by clearly separating the infinitive subject clause from the main clause.
Why isn't it zu Toleranz zeigen?
In German infinitive clauses, the word zu always goes immediately before the infinitive verb, and the verb gets pushed to the very end of the phrase. Therefore, the object Toleranz comes first, followed by zu zeigen.
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