Wenn er uns wirklich hätte sehen wollen, wäre er wohl ein bißchen
früher aufgestanden, oder?
If he’d really wanted to see us, he’d have got up a little earlier, don’t you
think?Bist du sicher, dass die neue Regelung hat eingeführt werden müssen?
Are you sure the new regulation had to be introduced?If lassen (35.6b) is used with another modal verb, there may (exceptionally) be three
infinitives at the end of the clause:Meinst du, dass ich die Umzugskosten von der Firma hätte bezahlen
lassen können?
Do you think I could have got the firm to pay the removal costs?See also 5.4 (p. 9) and 35.3 (p. 76).
8.7 (a) Infinitive clauses (that is, clauses containing verbs preceded by zu) are usually
placed outside the main clause:
Ich habe versucht(,) das Buch zu lesen.
I’ve tried to read the book.Ich habe aufgehört zu rauchen.
I have given up smoking.NOTE In the first example, extended infinitive clauses can but do not have to be separated from the
main clause by a comma, while in short infinitive phrases such as the second the comma is
always omitted. See also 42.3f (p. 109) for verb completion by an infinitive clause with zu; see 8.3 (p. 11) for
um... zu)(b) With separable verbs, a dependent infinitive (see 5.4) is normally placed outside the
main clause; only occasionally is it found enclosed:Er hörte auf zu singen.or (less commonly and only with short infinitive clauses):
Er hörte zu singen auf.
He stopped singing.NOTE If als or wie is used in a comparison, it is usually placed after the finite verb:Du weißt ja, dass er schneller läuft als ich.
You know he can run faster than I can.
Der Lehrer sagte, dass mein Aufsatz genauso gut war wie Manfreds.
The teacher said my essay was just as good as Manfred’s.See use of als as a subordinating conjunction, 8.3 (p. 11).
See 48.6 (p. 127) and 51.2 (p. 132) for comparisons.
8
Subordinate clauses