Mitzuarbeiten

Mitzuarbeiten is a German verb form meaning to contribute to a project or to collaborate with others. It combines the prefix mit- (together) with arbeiten (to work). The infinitive mitzuarbeiten is used in constructions that require a non-finite clause with zu, for example: Es ist wichtig, mitzuarbeiten.

In common usage, mitarbeiten appears in finite forms as a separable-prefix verb: Ich arbeite im Team mit. The past participle is mitgearbeitet, as in Wir haben an dem Projekt mitgearbeitet. The verb typically takes a prepositional object indicating the scope of participation, such as an, bei, or an + Dativ: an einem Projekt mitarbeiten, bei dem Projekt mitarbeiten.

Semantically, mitarbeiten emphasizes active contribution within a cooperative setting, often within a team or organization. It is closely related to, but slightly more specific than, zusammenarbeiten (to work together) and kooperieren (to cooperate, sometimes in a more formal sense). The choice among these terms can depend on nuance and formality.

Nominal use: as a noun, the standard terms are Mitarbeit (participation, contribution) or Mitwirkung (involvement). The form das Mitzuarbeiten is rare and usually sounds awkward; for most purposes, one would say die Mitarbeit am Projekt or die Mitwirkung bei einem Vorhaben.

See also: zusammenarbeiten, kooperieren, Mitarbeit, Mitwirkung.