pflegen + zu + Infinitive

To Be in the Habit of (Pflegen Zu)

Level 4

The pattern pflegen + zu + infinitive is an elevated way to describe consistent habits. While common in literature and formal writing, it is rarely used in casual conversation.

How It Works

1. Meaning and Usage
The verb pflegen in this context does not mean 'to nurse' or 'to maintain'. Instead, it describes a state of habit. It implies that an action is a characteristic trait or a deliberate custom of the subject.

2. Sentence Structure
The conjugated form of pflegen takes the second position in a standard sentence (V2), and the action being described moves to the end of the sentence in its infinitive form, preceded by zu.
Example: Er pflegt abends zu lesen. (He is in the habit of reading in the evening.)

3. Register and Tone
This pattern belongs to the gehobene Sprache (elevated language). In everyday German, speakers prefer frequency adverbs like normalerweise (normally) or gewöhnlich (usually). Using pflegen zu in a supermarket or with friends will sound overly stiff or poetic.

4. Conjugation
In modern German, pflegen is a weak verb when used for habits. The past tense is pflegte and the past participle is gepflegt. Avoid the archaic strong form pflog unless you are reading very old literature.

Examples (4)

  1. Er pflegt nach dem Abendessen einen kurzen Spaziergang zu machen.

    He is in the habit of taking a short walk after dinner.

    Word by Word: He cares after the dinner a short walk to make.

    This shows the standard present tense usage for a current habit.

  2. Wie man zu sagen pflegt: Eile mit Weile.

    As the saying goes: More haste, less speed.

    Word by Word: As one to say cares: Haste with while.

    A common idiomatic use of the pattern, often used to introduce proverbs.

  3. In seiner Jugend pflegte er stundenlang in der Bibliothek zu sitzen.

    In his youth, he used to sit in the library for hours.

    Word by Word: In his youth cared he hours-long in the library to sit.

    Here, the past tense 'pflegte' describes a habit from the past, similar to 'used to' in English.

  4. Sie pflegt ihre E-Mails sofort zu beantworten.

    She usually answers her emails immediately.

    Word by Word: She cares her e-mails immediately to answer.

    This emphasizes that answering immediately is a consistent trait of hers.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating 'pflegen' like a true modal verb by omitting 'zu'.

    Ich pflege früh aufstehen.
    Ich pflege früh aufzustehen.

    Unlike 'können' or 'müssen', 'pflegen' requires the word 'zu' before the infinitive. With separable verbs like 'aufstehen', the 'zu' is placed between the prefix and the base verb.

  • Using it in a casual, informal context.

    Pflegst du am Wochenende Pizza zu essen?
    Isst du am Wochenende normalerweise Pizza?

    While grammatically correct, 'pflegen zu' is too formal for a casual question about pizza; use 'normalerweise' instead.

  • Confusing the habit with the process of getting used to something.

    Ich pflege mich an das Wetter zu gewöhnen.
    Ich gewöhne mich an das Wetter.

    'Pflegen zu' describes a habit you already have, not the process of 'getting used to' something (sich gewöhnen an).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

pflegen + zu + InfinitiveLevel 4To Be in the Habit of (Pflegen Zu)

Learn This First

To use 'pflegen zu', a learner must be comfortable with the 'zu + infinitive' structure and how it interacts with a conjugated main verb. Since 'pflegen' functions similarly to a modal verb but requires 'zu', familiarity with other 'zu' constructions and basic verb conjugation is essential.

Words in This Pattern

pflegen