hunn ... ze

Having to Do: Hunn ... Ze

Level 3

Hunn + object + ze + infinitive means to have something to do: Ech hunn nach vill ze dinn. (I still have a lot to do.)

How It Works

1. Having something to do
Hunn takes second place, the object comes in the middle, and ze + infinitive goes to the end:

  • Ech hunn nach vill ze dinn. (I still have a lot to do.)
  • Mir hunn näischt ze verstoppen. (We have nothing to hide.)
  • Hues de eppes ze drénken? (Do you have something to drink?)

This works just like English have something to do. The object is often vill, eppes, näischt or keng Zäit; see eppes/näischt.

2. Having no say
Du hues hei näischt ze soen. means You have no say here. It is a fixed and rather sharp phrase.

3. Must
Without an object, hunn ... ze can mean must. It sounds strict, like an order: Du hues hei ze follegen! (You have to obey here!) In everyday speech, mussen is the usual word for must.

4. Spelling of ze
Ze stays in full before most verbs, but before iessen it is z'iessen: Mir hunn näischt méi z'iessen. With a separable verb, ze goes inside: Ech hunn nach e puer Leit unzeruffen. See ze + infinitive and separable verbs with ze.

5. Compare sinn ... ze
With sinn instead of hunn, the meaning is passive: Dat ass nach ze maachen. (That still has to be done.) See sinn ... ze.

Examples (6)

  1. Ech hunn nach vill ze dinn.

    I still have a lot to do.

    Hunn is second, ze dinn is at the end.

  2. Du hues hei näischt ze soen.

    You have no say here.

    A fixed phrase that sounds sharp.

  3. Mir hunn näischt ze verstoppen.

    We have nothing to hide.

  4. Hues de eppes ze drénken?

    Do you have something to drink?

  5. Ech hunn haut nach e puer Leit unzeruffen.

    I still have a few people to call today.

    With a separable verb, ze goes inside: unzeruffen.

  6. Du hues hei ze follegen!

    You have to obey here!

    Without an object, hunn ... ze means must and sounds strict.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out ze.

    Ech hunn nach vill dinn.
    Ech hunn nach vill ze dinn.

    Hunn is not a modal verb. The infinitive after it needs ze.

  • Putting ze and the infinitive before the object.

    Ech hunn ze dinn nach vill.
    Ech hunn nach vill ze dinn.

    Ze and the infinitive always go to the very end of the clause.

  • Writing ze in full before iessen.

    Mir hunn näischt méi ze iessen.
    Mir hunn näischt méi z'iessen.

    Before iessen, the standard spelling is z'iessen.

How It Connects

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

hunn ... zeLevel 3Having to Do: Hunn ... Ze

Learn This First

Before Having to Do: Hunn ... ze, learn The Infinitive With Ze.

Words in This Pattern

hunnze