Verbs: scheinen + zu, drohen + zu
B2 · Upper-Intermediate · Style & Precision
The rule
Used like modals with zu infinitive.
How it works
Scheinen zu (to seem to) and drohen zu (to threaten to) take a zu-infinitive and behave like modal verbs in sentence structure. Er scheint müde zu sein (He seems tired) and Es droht zu regnen (It threatens to rain). Scheinen is used for appearance and inference, drohen for an impending negative event.
When to use it
Use scheinen zu and drohen zu with an infinitive, like modal verbs: Er scheint müde zu sein (He seems tired).
Use cases
- Describing an impression: Sie scheint sehr glücklich zu sein
- Describing a warning: Das Unternehmen droht, die Preise zu erhöhen
- Describing a likely event: Es scheint zu klappen
Examples
- Er scheint müde zu sein – He seems to be tired
- Er scheint den Weg zu kennen. – He seems to know the way.
- Die Krise droht, sich zu verschärfen. – The crisis threatens to get worse.
- Das scheint nicht zu funktionieren. – That does not seem to work.
Common mistake
Dropping zu before the infinitive: "scheint müde zu sein" needs zu.
Memory tip
Scheinen zu = seem to; drohen zu = threaten to.
Read the wider picture in our guide: German Verbs and Word Order: Tenses, Modals and Sentence Structure.