GermanVerbs, Sentence Structure, Modal Verbs In German, a double-infinitive or Ersatzinfinitv is a sequence of two infinitiveNo definition set for infinitiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verbsNo definition set for verbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in a single sentence. This usually occurs when a modal verbNo definition set for modal verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (or something similar) is used in one of the tenses that is formed with an auxiliary verbNo definition set for auxiliary verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (present perfect, past perfect, simple future, subjunctive). In these tenses, both the verb you’re putting in the compound tense and the main verb are placed together, at the end of the sentence. For example:
auxiliary verbmodified verb (infinitive)modal verb (infinitive)
Sabine hat sich die Haare färben lassen.
Sabine got her hair dyed.
Meine Freunde wussten nicht, ob sie das hätte tun sollen.
My friends didn’t know whether she should have done it.
Now, let’s take a look at the verbs that can trigger a double-infinitive, how to form them and where they are positioned. Ready, set, go!
What verbs can trigger the double-infinitive in German?
German double infinitives can be triggered by verbs that modify other verbs. These are primarily modal verbs, but can be verbs belonging to a few other groups.
Double-infinitives occur when a verb in a compound tenseNo definition set for compound tenseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. modifies another verb. A clause with a double infinitive has three verbs total:
the conjugatedNo definition set for conjugatedLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. auxiliary verb needed for the tense
the verb you’re putting in that compound tense → in the infinitive form!
the verb modified by the verb in the compound tense
Verbs (2) and (3) come together at the end of the sentence as the double infinitive!
Compare the following examples — one in a simple tense (simple present) and the other in a compound tense (present perfect):
auxiliary verbmodified verb (infinitive)modal verb (infinitive)
Simple Tense (simple present):Der student muss viel für die Prüfung lernen.
The student has to study a lot for the exam.
Compound Tense (present perfect):Der Student hat viel für die Prüfung lernen müssen.
The student had to study a lot for the exam.
And now, let’s dig a little deeper into the types of verbs that usually occur in double infinitives.
Modal verbs
Modal verbs are the verbs that most commonly trigger a double-infinitive in German. A modal verb is a type of auxiliary verb that expresses necessity or possibility. In German, the six modal verbs are:
können(to be able to; can)
sollen(to be supposed to; shall)
dürfen(to be allowed to; to may)
Modals are very commonly used to modify another verb, so when they’re used in a compound tense you’ll usually see a double infinitive:
auxiliary verbmodified verb (infinitive)modal verb (infinitive)
Maria hat ihren Kühlschrank reparieren müssen.
Maria had to repair her fridge.
Vor der Operation habe ich 12 Stunden lang nichts essen dürfen.
I was not allowed to eat anything 12 hours prior to the surgery.
TIPWith modals, the auxiliary verb needed to form a compound tense is always haben(to have), not sein(to be).
In everyday spoken and written German, most people will avoid using the present perfect in cases where it might result in a double infinitive by using the simple past instead.
modal verb (simple past)modified verb (infinitive)
Maria musste ihren Kühlschrank reparieren.
Maria had to repair her fridge.
Vor der Operation durfte ich 12 Stunden lang nichts essen.
I was not allowed to eat anything 12 hours prior to the surgery.
Though the present perfect is still acceptable, the simple past will usually sound more natural.
Verbs of perception that can act like modal verbs
Verbs of perception, like hören(to hear) and sehen(to see), can also trigger a double infinitive in contexts where you’re expressing that someone perceived an action.
auxiliary verbmodified verb (infinitive)verb of perception (infinitive)
Schatz, ich habe dich letzte Nacht schon wieder schnarchen hören.
Darling, I heard you snore again last night.
Dass du schon wieder schnarchst, habe ich kommen sehen.
I saw it coming that you would snore once again.
Check out this comprehensive list of German verbs of perception for more verbs like this!
Other verbs that trigger double infinitives
There are a handful of other verbs that can also trigger a double-infinitive. Some examples are the verbs helfen(to help) and lassen(to let).
auxiliary verbmodified verb (infinitive)main verb (infinitive)
Du hast wirklich nicht zu mir kommen brauchen.
You really didn’t need to come to me.
Peter hat sich diesen Anzug maßschneidern lassen.
Peter had this suit custom-tailored.
Check out this list of other verbs that trigger double infinitives, or head over to our post on the German verb lassen to learn more!
There are some verbal expressions that look like double-infinitives but are not. For example, though the dictionary forms of expressions like spazieren gehen(to go for a walk) and sitzen bleiben(to stay seated) involve two infinitives, when you use them in a compound tense, the second verb will be a participle:
auxiliary verbmodified verb (infinitive)main verb (participle)
Nach der Arbeit bin ich gerne spazieren gegangen.
I enjoyed going for a walk after work.
Bitte bleiben Sie sitzen, bis das Flugzeug zum Stillstand gekommen ist!
Please stay seated until the plane has come to a stop!
Check out this list of non-double-infinitives for more examples.
What tenses use the double infinitive appear in?
In German, double infinitives can appear in any of the compound tenses. This includes:
The perfect tenses (past and present)
Double infinitives are often used in the present perfect and past perfect. Both of these tenses are usually formed by combining the auxiliary verb sein(to be) or haben(to have) with the past participle of the main verb.
However, when you use one of the verbs we discussed above (e.g. modals, perception verbs) in this tense, the main verb will instead be in the infinitive form, resulting in a double infinitive:
auxiliary verbmodified verb (infinitive)modal verb (infinitive)
Present Perfect:Peter hat sein Auto waschen wollen.
Peter wanted to wash his car.
→ the auxiliary verb is in the simple present
Present Perfect:Peter hatte sein Auto waschen wollen.
Peter had wanted to wash his car.
→ the auxiliary verb is in the simple past
In everyday spoken and written German, most people will avoid using the present perfect in cases that would result in a double infinitive by using the simple past instead. As you can see from the examples, the meanings of the two tenses are the same:
Present Perfect (with a double infinitive):auxiliary verb (simple present)modified verb (infinitive)modal verb (infinitive)
Ich habe meinem Bruder helfen wollen.
I wanted to help my brother.
Simple Past (no double infinitive):modal verb (infinitive)modified verb (infinitive)
Ich wollte meinem Bruder helfen.
I wanted to help my brother.
Though the present perfect and the simple past are both acceptable, the simple past will usually sound more natural.
The future tense
Double-infinitives can occur in the simple future tense as well. You have to position them at the end of the clause. The auxiliary to form the simple future tense is always werden(will).
auxiliary verb (present)modified verb (infinitive)main verb (infinitive)
Mein Freund wird mir eine Wohnung suchen helfen.
My friend will help me find an apartment.
Wir werden das Formular ausfüllen müssen.
We will have to fill out the form.
The past subjunctive II
You’ll use a double infinitive if you use the past subjunctive II of a modal or similar verb.
The past subjunctive II is formed by combining hätten(would have), the subjunctive II of haben, with the main verb. We mostly use this form of a modal to express ideas like “would have had to,” “would have been supposed to,” “should have,” “would have been able to,” “could have,” or “would have been allowed to.
auxiliary verb (subjunctive II)modified verb (infinitive)main verb (infinitive)
Klara hätte Tim anrufen können, aber sie schrieb ihm lieber eine SMS.
Klara could have called Tim, but she preferred to send him a text.
Um pünktlich zu sein, hätten wir früher losfahren müssen.
We would have had to leave sooner to be on time.
Where to put the double infinitive in a sentence?
In German, double infinitives come at the end of a sentence or clause. The infinitive that is being put into the compound tense comes second:
auxiliary verbmodified verbmain verb
Der Vater hat das Kind nicht weinen hören.
The father did not hear the child cry.
In a standard sentence, the auxiliary is always in second position.
auxiliary (second)double-infinitive (last)
Die Mutter hat ihr Kind weinen hören.
The mother heard her child cry.
In questions with a question word like warum(why), was(what), etc., the auxiliary is in second position and the double infinitive in last position.
question wordauxiliary (second)double-infinitive (last)
Warum hat die Mutter ihr Kind weinen hören?
Why did the mother hear her child cry?
In questions without a question word, the auxiliary is in first position and the double infinitive in last position.
auxiliary (first)double-infinitive (last)
Hat die Mutter ihr Kind weinen hören?
Did the mother hear her child cry?
It’s also important to note that the infinitive that goes with the conjugated auxiliary verb comes last and the modified verb second to last, which is not interchangeable.
In subordinate clauses, where the conjugated verb is generally “kicked” to the end, the double-infinitive is still always placed at the end, though the auxiliary comes immediately before it.
auxiliary (end)double-infinitive (last)
Der Vater behauptete, dass er es nicht hat weinen hören.
The father claimed he did not hear it cry.
Learn more about German word order in subordinate clauses in our comprehensive article!
Summary
In this article, we introduced the idea of double infinitives in German.
You’ll only ever use a double infinitive when using these types of verbs…
modal verbs (e.g. können), perception verbs (e.g. hören), and a few others
…in a compound tense like...
present perfect, past perfect, future, past subjunctive II
…to modify another verb!
A double infinitive will always come at the end of a clause and the verb you’re putting in the compound tense will come after the modified verb.
Are you ready to take your newly gained knowledge to the test? Head over to our German double infinitive exercises and practice what you have just read!
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