Das Kind fängt an zu weinen.

The child starts to cry.

Breakdown of Das Kind fängt an zu weinen.

• das Kind: the child
• zu: to
• anfangen: to start
• weinen: to cry

Questions & Answers about Das Kind fängt an zu weinen.

Why is it das Kind and not der Kind or die Kind?

In German every noun has a grammatical gender that you simply have to learn with the word.
Kind is neuter, so in the nominative singular it takes das: das Kind.
Other forms: ein Kind, dem Kind (dative), das Kind (accusative), and plural die Kinder.

What exactly is fängt an? Is it one verb or two?

fängt an comes from the verb anfangen (to start, to begin).
anfangen is a separable verb: its prefix an- splits off in main clauses and moves to the end of the clause.
Present tense forms are, for example: ich fange an, du fängst an, er/sie/es fängt an, wir fangen an, etc.

Why does an go to the end of the sentence?

In a simple main clause, German likes the finite verb in second position.
Here, the finite verb is fängt, so it must be in the second slot: Das Kind fängt ….
With separable verbs like anfangen, the prefix (an) is pushed to the end of the clause:
Das Kind fängt an zu weinen.

Why do we say zu weinen? Why is zu needed here?

After verbs like anfangen and beginnen, German normally uses a zu + infinitive construction.
So you say anfangen zu weinen, anfangen zu lesen, beginnen zu arbeiten, etc.
By contrast, modal verbs (können, wollen, müssen, etc.) and a few others (like gehen, lassen, helfen in many uses) do not take zu:
Das Kind will weinen. / Er geht schlafen.

Can I say Das Kind fängt an weinen without zu?

In standard German, no. With anfangen + verb, you normally must use zu:
✅ Das Kind fängt an zu weinen.
❌ Das Kind fängt an weinen. (ungrammatical in standard German)
There are dialectal or colloquial exceptions, but for learners, always include zu.

Is Das Kind fängt zu weinen an also correct?

Yes, Das Kind fängt zu weinen an is grammatically correct, and you will see or hear it.
However, Das Kind fängt an zu weinen is more common and sounds more natural in modern standard German.
As a learner, it’s safest to prefer fängt an zu ….

What’s the difference between Das Kind fängt an zu weinen and Das Kind weint?

Das Kind weint simply describes the situation: the child is crying.
Das Kind fängt an zu weinen focuses on the moment when the crying starts; it emphasizes the beginning of the action.
So it corresponds closely to English “The child starts/begins to cry.”

How would this sentence look in a dass-clause or other subordinate clause?

In subordinate clauses, the finite verb goes to the end, and separable verbs do not split.
So you get:
…, dass das Kind anfängt zu weinen.
Here anfängt stays together, and zu weinen still comes after it, but before the clause-final comma or period.

How do I say “The child started to cry” in the past tense?

Two common options:

• Perfekt (spoken German):
  Das Kind hat angefangen zu weinen.

• Präteritum (more written/literary, but also used in the North):
  Das Kind fing an zu weinen.

Both mean “The child started to cry.”

What’s the difference between anfangen and beginnen here?

In this sentence, they are practically synonyms:

• Das Kind fängt an zu weinen.
• Das Kind beginnt zu weinen.

anfangen is slightly more common and a bit more colloquial; beginnen can sound a bit more formal or neutral.
Both use zu + infinitive in the same way.

Are there other common verbs for “cry” besides weinen?

Yes:

• weinen – neutral “to cry,” often with tears.
• schreien – “to scream/yell,” loud crying or shouting, often used for babies or angry people.
• heulen (colloquial) – “to bawl, to howl,” stronger and more emotional or childish-sounding than weinen.

So you might also hear Das Kind schreit or Das Kind heult depending on how it’s crying.

How do you pronounce Das Kind fängt an zu weinen?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA):

• Das – [das] (short a)
• Kind – [kɪnt] (i like in bit, final d pronounced like t)
• fängt – [fɛŋkt] (ä like e in bed; ng as in sing)
• an – [an] (short a)
• zu – [tsuː] (z sound like ts in cats)
• weinen – [ˈvaɪ̯nən] (w like English v; ei like eye)

Put it together smoothly: [das kɪnt fɛŋkt an tsuː ˈvaɪ̯nən].