infinitivpassiva

Infinitivpassiv is the non-finite form of the passive voice in German grammar. It expresses that an action is to be performed or is to be done, without specifying the agent, and appears in infinitive clauses or in impersonal constructions.

Formation: The usual form of the Infinitivpassiv uses zu followed by the active infinitive. Examples are Es ist zu tun (There is work to be done) and Die Arbeiten sind zu erledigen (The tasks are to be completed). The agent remains unspecified, and the structure is common in formal or instructional writing.

Usage: This construction is frequent after impersonal verbs and adjectives of necessity or possibility, such as Es ist zu beachten, Es ist wichtig, Es bleibt abzuwarten, Es ist möglich, etc. It also appears in modifiers like Die Regeln sind zu befolgen. The Infinitivpassiv is common in manuals, notices, and academic or administrative language, where the emphasis is on the action rather than on who performs it.

Relation to other forms: The Infinitivpassiv is distinct from the finite passive, which uses wird/werden with a participle (Die Aufgabe wird erledigt). The infinitive form cannot always replace a full passive clause; it tends to convey a more formal, generalized, or instruction-focused nuance. In many contexts, it functions similarly to the English “to be done” and can serve as the subject or object of a sentence.

See also: Infinitiv, Passiv, Infinitiv mit zu. Examples: Es ist zu beachten; Die Aufgaben sind zu erledigen; Zu lesen ist der Bericht.