Breakdown of Der Arzt befahl ihm, im Bett zu bleiben.
in
in
der Arzt
the doctor
bleiben
to stay
das Bett
the bed
befehlen
to command
Questions & Answers about Der Arzt befahl ihm, im Bett zu bleiben.
Why is the dative pronoun ihm used here instead of the accusative ihn?
The verb befehlen (to order or command) requires a dative object for the person receiving the command. Think of it as giving an order to someone.
What tense is befahl and what is its infinitive form?
It is the simple past (Präteritum) of the strong, irregular verb befehlen. Its principal parts are befehlen, befahl, and hat befohlen. You will often see this tense in written narratives or reports.
Why is there a comma separating im Bett zu bleiben from the rest of the sentence?
This is an extended infinitive clause, meaning it has an infinitive with zu plus extra information (im Bett). In German, placing a comma before extended infinitive clauses is highly recommended and very common to make the sentence structure clear.
Could I express this order using a dass (that) clause instead?
Yes, you could say Der Arzt befahl ihm, dass er im Bett bleiben soll. However, because the person who needs to stay in bed (ihm) is already stated in the main clause, using the zu infinitive is much more elegant and sounds more natural.
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