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Diese Tatsache motiviert uns, täglich zu üben.

Diese Tatsache motiviert uns, täglich zu üben.
This fact motivates us to practice daily.
FromLesson 48inHardcore German
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Breakdown of Diese Tatsache motiviert uns, täglich zu üben.

zu
to
üben
to practice
diese
this
uns
us
täglich
daily
die Tatsache
the fact
motivieren
to motivate

Questions & Answers about Diese Tatsache motiviert uns, täglich zu üben.

Why is it "uns" and not "wir"?
  • Because motivieren takes a direct object in the accusative: jemanden motivieren.
  • Uns is the 1st person plural object form (it can be accusative or dative). Here it’s accusative, since it’s the direct object of motiviert.
  • The subject is Diese Tatsache; if we were the subject, it would be wir.
Why is it "Diese Tatsache" and not "Dieser/Dieses Tatsache"?
  • Tatsache is feminine. As the subject (nominative singular), the correct demonstrative is diese.
  • Dieser Tatsache would be dative or genitive; Dieses pairs with neuter (or masculine in some cases), so it doesn’t fit here.
What form is "motiviert" here?
  • Present tense, 3rd person singular of motivieren.
  • -ieren verbs are regular: ich motiviere, du motivierst, er/sie/es motiviert.
  • The past participle is also motiviert (without ge-), but here it’s clearly the finite verb (verb-second position).
Is the comma before "täglich zu üben" required?
  • It’s optional in this case but recommended.
  • A comma is mandatory if the infinitive group is introduced by um, ohne, statt, außer, als, or if there’s a correlate (es/das/dazu) or it depends on a noun.
  • Here it depends on a verb and none of those conditions apply, so both motiviert uns, täglich zu üben and motiviert uns täglich zu üben are acceptable; the comma aids clarity.
How does the "zu + infinitive" work here?
  • Pattern: jemanden motivieren, etwas zu tun.
  • The understood subject of the infinitive (wir) is the same as the main clause’s object (uns).
  • Note that this zu is the infinitive marker (not the preposition). It doesn’t govern the dative.
Where do I put "täglich" in the infinitive? Is "zu täglich üben" possible?
  • Zu must stand directly before the infinitive verb: zu üben.
  • Adverbs typically come before the whole zu + infinitive group: täglich zu üben.
  • Zu täglich üben is wrong; zu üben täglich sounds odd.
Can I say "Diese Tatsache motiviert uns zum täglichen Üben"? Does it mean the same?
  • Yes. That’s a nominalization: zum = zu dem
    • das Üben (capitalized), with täglichen in the dative.
  • It’s a bit more formal; meaning is essentially the same as … motiviert uns, täglich zu üben.
Can I drop "uns" and say "Diese Tatsache motiviert, täglich zu üben"?
  • Grammatically possible but elliptical and less natural; it implies a generic “people.”
  • Prefer including the object (mich/uns/ihn …) or use an impersonal alternative like Das bringt einen dazu, täglich zu üben.
Should it be "um täglich zu üben" instead of just "täglich zu üben"?
  • No. Um … zu introduces a purpose clause (“in order to”), which doesn’t fit directly after motivieren here.
  • Use um … zu to give the purpose of an action: Wir üben täglich, um besser zu werden.
  • With motivieren, use the bare zu-infinitive or add dazu: … motiviert uns, täglich zu üben / … motiviert uns dazu, täglich zu üben.
Does "motiviert" here mean the adjective "motivated"? How do I tell?
  • Here it’s a verb: in main clauses the conjugated verb stands in second position (V2), as in Diese Tatsache motiviert uns, ….
  • As an adjective you’d use sein: Wir sind motiviert = “We are motivated.”
Can moving "täglich" change the meaning?
  • Diese Tatsache motiviert uns, täglich zu üben = we practice daily.
  • Diese Tatsache motiviert uns täglich, zu üben = it motivates us daily (frequency of the motivating), not necessarily that the practicing is daily. Position matters.
Is "täglich" the same as "jeden Tag"?
  • Both mean “every day.”
  • Täglich is a one-word adverb; jeden Tag is a time expression (accusative of time). They’re interchangeable here, with only a slight stylistic difference.
Can I replace "Diese Tatsache" with "Das"?
  • Yes: Das motiviert uns, täglich zu üben.
  • Das refers back to something just mentioned and is more idiomatic in speech; Diese Tatsache is more explicit/formal.
Can I front the object: "Uns motiviert diese Tatsache, täglich zu üben"?
  • Yes. German allows fronting for emphasis: Uns is in first position, and the conjugated verb (motiviert) still stays in second position.
  • This emphasizes who is being motivated.

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