ohne...zu

Without -ing (Ohne...zu)

Level 3

The pattern ohne...zu is used to describe an action that was expected or logical but did not happen alongside the main action. It translates to 'without -ing' in English.

How It Works

The ohne...zu construction is a powerful tool for describing omissions.

1. Sentence Structure:
The main clause is separated from the ohne-clause by a comma. Ohne acts as the 'bracket' at the start, and the verb in its infinitive form (with zu) closes the bracket at the end.

  • Er geht, ohne ein Wort zu sagen. (He leaves without saying a word.)

2. Starting with the Ohne-Clause:
You can place the ohne...zu clause at the beginning for emphasis. When you do this, the main clause must follow V2 word order, meaning the conjugated verb comes immediately after the comma.

  • Ohne ein Wort zu sagen, ging er aus dem Zimmer. (Without saying a word, he walked out of the room.)

3. Separable Verbs:
If you use separable verbs, the zu is placed between the prefix and the base verb.

  • mitnehmen → ohne mitzunehmen

4. The Same-Subject Rule:
You can only use this pattern if the subject remains the same. If the subjects are different, you must use a dass-clause variation: ohne dass.

5. No Double Negatives:
Do not use nicht inside the ohne-clause. The word ohne already makes the action negative.

  • Ohne zu fragen (Without asking) — Correct
  • Ohne nicht zu fragen — Incorrect

Examples (4)

  1. Er verließ das Zimmer, ohne sich zu verabschieden.

    He left the room without saying goodbye.

    Word by Word: He left the room, without himself to say-goodbye.

    Notice the comma separating the clauses and 'zu' placed before the infinitive at the very end.

  2. Sie ist gegangen, ohne ihren Schlüssel mitzunehmen.

    She left without taking her key with her.

    Word by Word: She is gone, without her key with-to-take.

    With the separable verb 'mitnehmen', the 'zu' is inserted between the prefix and the verb.

  3. Man kann nicht gewinnen, ohne zu spielen.

    One cannot win without playing.

    Word by Word: One can not win, without to play.

    A simple example showing the logical necessity of the second action.

  4. Er hat das Auto gekauft, ohne es vorher gesehen zu haben.

    He bought the car without having seen it beforehand.

    Word by Word: He has the car bought, without it before seen to have.

    This uses the perfect infinitive (Participle + zu haben) to show the 'not seeing' happened before the buying.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'ohne...zu' when the subjects are different.

    Ich gehe, ohne zu du mich siehst.
    Ich gehe, ohne dass du mich siehst.

    If the subject of the second action (you) is different from the first (I), you cannot use the infinitive. You must use 'ohne dass' followed by a full subordinate clause.

  • Incorrect placement of 'zu' with separable verbs.

    Er ging weg, ohne zu mitnehmen sein Handy.
    Er ging weg, ohne sein Handy mitzunehmen.

    In German, 'zu' must be inside the separable verb (mit-zu-nehmen) and the entire verb must be at the end of the clause.

  • Adding a redundant 'nicht' inside the clause.

    Er ging, ohne nicht Tschüss zu sagen.
    Er ging, ohne Tschüss zu sagen.

    Since 'ohne' already implies a negative (without), adding 'nicht' creates an incorrect double negative. The action you didn't do should be stated positively.

How It Connects

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

ohne...zuLevel 3Without -ing (Ohne...zu)

Learn This First

To learn 'ohne...zu', you first need to understand how basic infinitive clauses work in German, specifically how the particle 'zu' interacts with the verb. It is also helpful to be familiar with 'um...zu' clauses, as they follow the same grammatical logic, and to know the basic meaning of the preposition 'ohne'.

Words in This Pattern

ohne