Bitte erinnere mich daran, das Telefon aufzuladen, sonst vergesse ich es.

Please remind me to charge the phone, otherwise I forget it.

Breakdown of Bitte erinnere mich daran, das Telefon aufzuladen, sonst vergesse ich es.

• ich: I
• es: it
• mich: me
• vergessen: to forget
• das Telefon: the phone
• bitte: please
• erinnern an: to remind
• aufladen: to charge
• sonst: otherwise

Questions & Answers about Bitte erinnere mich daran, das Telefon aufzuladen, sonst vergesse ich es.

Why is the imperative form “erinnere” used here, and what does it tell me about the formality?

“Erinnere” is the informal imperative form of “erinnern.” In this sentence, it’s used to give a friendly command—“remind me.” Since the speaker uses the informal ‘du’ form (implied by the verb form), it shows that the request is directed to someone with whom they have an informal relationship. In a formal context, you’d use “Erinnern Sie mich daran…”

What role does “daran” play in the sentence?

“Daran” acts as a placeholder or pro‑form that refers to the action mentioned later—in this case, charging the phone (“das Telefon aufzuladen”). German often uses such a placeholder when an infinitive clause follows a verb like “erinnern.” It helps connect the reminder (“remind me”) to the specific action without repeating a full noun phrase.

Why is “aufzuladen” written as one word with the “zu” placed between the prefix and the verb?

“Aufzuladen” is the “zu”-infinitive form of the separable verb “aufladen,” which means “to charge.” In German, when forming the infinitive with “zu” for separable verbs, the “zu” is inserted between the separable prefix (“auf”) and the base form (“laden”). This structure is standard and distinguishes it from the main clause form of the separable verb.

How does the word “sonst” function in this sentence?

“Sonst” translates as “otherwise” in English. It introduces a consequence: if the phone is not charged (because the speaker might forget without a reminder), then the result will be that the speaker forgets to charge it. It links the two parts of the sentence by indicating that the failure to act on the reminder leads to an unwanted outcome.

Why are commas used before the infinitive clause and the “sonst” clause?

In German, commas are used to clearly separate clauses. The comma before “das Telefon aufzuladen” distinguishes the main instruction (“Bitte erinnere mich daran”) from the added information specifying what to be reminded of. Similarly, a comma is placed before “sonst vergesse ich es” to separate the consequence clause from the rest of the sentence. This punctuation helps clarify the structure and meaning.