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Breakdown of Ich habe heute noch zwei E‑Mails zu beantworten.
ich
I
zu
to
heute
today
haben
to have
zwei
two
noch
still
die E‑Mail
the email
beantworten
to answer
Questions & Answers about Ich habe heute noch zwei E‑Mails zu beantworten.
What does the structure haben + zu + infinitive express here?
It expresses a pending task or necessity, often close to English “have to” or “have … to do.” So the sentence means you have the task of answering two emails today. You could also say: Ich muss heute noch zwei E‑Mails beantworten. That’s a bit more direct about obligation, while haben + zu highlights the existence of the items/tasks.
Why is zu needed before beantworten?
Because haben + zu + infinitive is a fixed construction. The infinitive must be marked with zu. Without zu, the sentence is ungrammatical: not “Ich habe … E‑Mails beantworten,” but Ich habe … E‑Mails zu beantworten.
Where does zu go with separable verbs?
With separable verbs, zu slips between the prefix and the stem:
- anrufen → anzurufen
- zurückschreiben → zurückzuschreiben With inseparable verbs like beantworten, zu goes in front: zu beantworten (never “bezuantworten”).
Why use beantworten and not antworten?
- beantworten + Akkusativ (direct object): You answer a thing: eine E‑Mail beantworten.
- antworten (auf + Akkusativ / Dativ for person): You answer to something/someone: auf eine E‑Mail antworten; jemandem antworten. Both are correct in meaning but use different patterns. Your sentence needs a direct object, so beantworten fits perfectly.
What case is zwei E‑Mails in?
Accusative. The (understood) verb it belongs to is beantworten, which takes a direct object in the accusative: (Ich habe) zwei E‑Mails (zu beantworten). If you replace the noun with a pronoun: Ich habe sie heute noch zu beantworten.
What does noch mean here? “Still,” “yet,” or “another/two more”?
It can mean either, depending on emphasis:
- heute noch = “still today / before the day is over.”
- noch zwei E‑Mails = “two more emails (remaining/in addition).” The sentence can naturally be understood as both “I still have two emails to answer today” and “I have two more emails to answer (today).” To disambiguate:
- Emphasize “two more”: Ich habe heute noch zwei weitere E‑Mails zu beantworten.
- Emphasize “before today is over”: Ich muss die E‑Mails noch heute beantworten.
Is there a difference between heute noch and noch heute?
Both mean “still today,” but:
- heute noch is very common and neutral.
- noch heute is a bit more emphatic or formal/literary. Meaning is the same; choose based on style and flow.
Can I move words around? What are natural alternatives?
Yes. Common variants include:
- Heute habe ich noch zwei E‑Mails zu beantworten. (time fronted for emphasis)
- Ich habe noch heute zwei E‑Mails zu beantworten. (slightly more formal/emphatic) The zu‑Infinitiv phrase (zu beantworten) stays at the end of the clause.
Is haben + zu formal compared to müssen?
In general, haben + zu can feel a bit more formal or “written,” but it’s idiomatic in task/context sentences like this. In everyday speech, müssen is more common: Ich muss heute noch zwei E‑Mails beantworten. Your original sentence is perfectly fine and natural.
Is there an impersonal/passive alternative?
Yes:
- Heute sind noch zwei E‑Mails zu beantworten. (impersonal, task-focused)
- Es sind heute noch zwei E‑Mails zu beantworten.
These sound like a to‑do list or a status update.
How do I negate this properly?
- No emails left to answer: Ich habe heute keine E‑Mails mehr zu beantworten.
- Not yet answered any (different meaning, completed action): Ich habe heute noch keine E‑Mails beantwortet.
How can I clearly say “two more emails” vs “still today” without ambiguity?
- “Two more emails”: Ich habe heute noch zwei weitere E‑Mails zu beantworten.
- “Still today (by day’s end)”: Ich muss die E‑Mails noch heute beantworten.
- If both are meant: Ich muss heute noch zwei weitere E‑Mails beantworten.
Why is zu beantworten at the very end?
German pushes non-finite verb forms (like zu + infinitive) to the end of the clause. The main verb habe sits in position 2, and the zu‑Infinitiv closes the “right bracket” at the end:
Ich [habe] … zwei E‑Mails [zu beantworten].
What’s the spelling and gender of E‑Mail?
- Standard spelling: die E‑Mail (with hyphen), plural die E‑Mails. Nouns are capitalized.
- Some write Email without a hyphen, but that can also mean “enamel” in German; the hyphen avoids ambiguity.
- Colloquially you may see die Mail / die Mails.
Could I use the past/completed-action form?
Yes, if you mean you finished them: Ich habe heute zwei E‑Mails beantwortet.
Your original sentence (with zu beantworten) talks about a pending task, not a completed one.
How would pronouns fit in?
Replace the noun with a pronoun and keep it early in the middle field:
- Ich habe sie heute noch zu beantworten.
- With müssen: Ich muss sie heute noch beantworten.
Pronouns typically precede longer noun phrases in German word order.
More from this lesson
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German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
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