Infinitive construction 'ohne ... zu' / 'anstatt ... zu' (without / instead of doing)
Infinitivkonstruktion 'ohne ... zu' / 'anstatt ... zu'
'ohne ... zu' means 'without doing'; 'anstatt ... zu' means 'instead of doing'.
Structure
ohne / (an)statt ... zu + Infinitiv (gleiches Subjekt)
ohne / (an)statt ... zu + infinitive (same subject)
Details
- Part of Speech
- Sentence Structure
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
What it is. Two constructions that add meaning to an action:
- ohne ... zu = "without doing (something)" - an action that does not happen.
- anstatt ... zu (also statt ... zu) = "instead of doing (something)" - a replaced/expected action.
How it is formed. ohne / (an)statt + ... + zu + at the end of the clause. Like um ... zu, both require the same subject in both parts.
Examples.
- Er ging weg, ohne sich zu verabschieden. - He left without saying goodbye.
- Sie kaufte das Auto, ohne es zu testen. - She bought the car without testing it.
- Anstatt zu arbeiten, schaut er fern. - Instead of working, he watches TV.
Common mistakes. These only work with one shared subject. If the subjects differ, switch to the + finite : ohne dass / anstatt dass: Er ging weg, ohne dass ich es merkte (different subjects). Don't forget the zu before the .
About Infinitive construction 'ohne ... zu' / 'anstatt ... zu' (without / instead of doing)
'ohne ... zu' means 'without doing'; 'anstatt ... zu' means 'instead of doing'.
'ohne ... zu' + expresses an action that does not happen; 'anstatt ... zu' + Infinitiv replaces an expected action. Both need the same .
'ohne ... zu' bedeutet 'ohne dass man ...', 'anstatt ... zu' bedeutet 'statt dass man ...'.
Caution
These only work when both parts share the same subject. If the subjects differ, use 'ohne dass' / 'anstatt dass' with a finite verb instead.