Ich bin heute zu müde, um lange zu telefonieren.

to be

Breakdown of Ich bin heute zu müde, um lange zu telefonieren.

• ich: I
• heute: today
• lange: long
• müde: tired
• um ... zu: in order to
• zu: too
• telefonieren: to talk on the phone

Questions & Answers about Ich bin heute zu müde, um lange zu telefonieren.

Why are there two instances of the word zu?

They are two different words with the same form:

• In zu müde, zu is an adverb meaning “too.”
• In um … zu telefonieren, zu is the infinitive marker used in the um … zu + infinitive construction.

Is the comma before um required?

Yes. An infinitive clause introduced by um must be set off with a comma: …, um … zu …

Can I drop um and say Ich bin heute zu müde, lange zu telefonieren?

No. In the pattern zu + adjective, um … zu + infinitive, the um is required. Without um, the sentence sounds wrong or ambiguous.

Why is it um lange zu telefonieren and not um zu lange telefonieren?

• um lange zu telefonieren = “in order to phone for a long time,” where lange (for long) is an adverb modifying the action.
• zu lange telefonieren would mean “to phone too long,” with zu again meaning “too,” which changes the meaning.
  Also, the infinitive marker zu belongs immediately with the verb: zu telefonieren.

Why lange and not lang?

As an adverb of duration, standard German prefers lange: lange telefonieren (“talk on the phone for a long time”).
Use lang after a specific measure: zwei Stunden lang telefonieren. Colloquial lang telefonieren exists but is less standard.

Can I say für lange to mean “for long”?

Generally no. Say lange on its own: … um lange zu telefonieren.
If you use für, you need a noun: für eine lange Zeit—but that sounds heavy here.

Why use telefonieren instead of anrufen?

• telefonieren = “to be on the phone; to have a phone conversation” (often with mit + Dative: mit dir telefonieren).
• anrufen = “to call (someone)” and takes a direct object: jemanden anrufen.
  So “too tired to call you” is zu müde, um dich anzurufen, not … dich zu telefonieren.

Where does the infinitive zu go with separable verbs like anrufen?

Between the prefix and the verb stem: anzurufen (not “zuanrufen”).
Example: Ich bin zu müde, um dich anzurufen.

Can I say Ich bin heute zu müde zum Telefonieren?

Yes. zum = zu dem, and Telefonieren is a nominalized verb, so it’s capitalized.
To keep “for a long time,” you’d have to say zum langen Telefonieren, which is grammatical but a bit stiff; … um lange zu telefonieren sounds more natural.

Why is telefonieren lowercase here?

It’s a verb in an infinitive clause (zu telefonieren). Only the nominalized form is capitalized: zum Telefonieren.

Can I move heute to another position?

Yes:

• Heute bin ich zu müde, um lange zu telefonieren. (fronted for emphasis)
• Ich bin zu müde, um heute lange zu telefonieren. (placing “today” inside the infinitive clause) All are natural; the meaning stays the same with slight shifts in emphasis.

Who is the subject of the um … zu clause?

It’s implicitly the same as the main-clause subject (ich here). If you need a different subject, you can’t use um … zu; you’d restructure, e.g.:

• Ich bin so müde, dass du besser nicht lange telefonierst. (different subject)
• More formal: Es ist zu spät, als dass wir noch lange telefonieren könnten.

Is there an alternative to express the idea without um … zu?

Yes, the so … dass pattern:

• Ich bin heute so müde, dass ich nicht lange telefonieren kann.
  Same idea, but it states the consequence explicitly with dass and kann.

How would I say “I’m not too tired to talk for long”?

Ich bin heute nicht zu müde, um lange zu telefonieren.
Alternatively (neutral statement of ability): Ich kann heute lange telefonieren.

How do I include the person I’m talking with?

Use mit + Dative:

• Ich bin heute zu müde, um lange mit dir zu telefonieren.
  This keeps telefonieren (intransitive) and adds the partner with mit.

How do you pronounce ü in müde?

Round your lips as for “oo” but say “ee”: a front, rounded vowel. Try saying English “ee” while rounding your lips—müde sounds like that, roughly “MYOO-duh” (but with a short, unaccented second syllable).