Notes, signs and to-do lists: the German infinitive style

In to-do lists, signs, recipes and instructions, German often uses the infinitive instead of a full sentence: Milch kaufen. Oma anrufen. Bitte nicht rauchen. The object comes first and the verb comes last, exactly as in the second half of a sentence with a modal verb (Ich muss Milch kaufen). It is short, neutral and impersonal, which is why it is so common in written notes and public signs.

To-do lists and notes to yourself

A German shopping list or to-do list rarely uses the imperative. Each item is a short phrase that ends with the infinitive. The word order is the same as at the end of a normal sentence: object, place or time first, verb last.

Separable verbs stay together in the infinitive: anrufen, rausbringen, aufräumen. This is one of the few places where you see them as a single word in a sentence-like phrase, so to-do lists are also a good way to practise them.

A common learner mistake is to translate the English to and write zu: Milch zu kaufen. In lists and notes there is no zu.

Signs and public notices

Public signs use the infinitive to give an instruction without addressing anyone directly. It sounds less personal than the imperative and avoids the choice between du and Sie. A bitte makes it polite, and nicht goes directly before the verb.

Another common pattern on signs uses a noun and a participle or adjective: Rauchen verboten (smoking forbidden), Eintritt frei (free entry), Durchgang gesperrt (passage closed). And on the doors of shops you will see the imperative form with Sie as well: Bitte klingeln Sie. All three styles are normal.

Recipes and instructions

Recipes are traditionally written in the infinitive, step by step. Many modern recipes and websites use the Sie or du imperative instead (Schneiden Sie die Zwiebeln, Schneide die Zwiebeln), but the infinitive is still very common, especially in cookbooks and on packaging.

Instructions for appliances, forms and exam tasks follow the same pattern: Zutreffendes ankreuzen (tick as appropriate), Nicht in die Mikrowelle stellen (not suitable for the microwave). In exams, the task instructions usually use the Sie imperative (Lesen Sie den Text), while the answer sheet may use the infinitive (Bitte ankreuzen).

The infinitive as a spoken command

In speech, the infinitive can also be used as a very direct command. Parents say it to children, coaches to teams and teachers to classes: Aufstehen! (Get up!) Hinsetzen! (Sit down!) Aufpassen! (Pay attention!) Zähne putzen! (Brush your teeth!)

This sounds brisk and leaves no room for discussion, so it is not a polite way to ask an adult to do something. For requests, use the forms in the post on polite requests in German.

Notes and messages without a subject

Short notes and text messages use another shortcut: they leave out the subject, and sometimes the article, when it is obvious who is meant. The verb is conjugated, but the ich or wir is missing.

This style is normal in notes on the fridge, in text messages and in quick emails between colleagues. It is too casual for a formal email or a letter, where the full sentence is expected: Ich bin gleich zurück.

A short overview

The infinitive style uses the same word order as the end of a German sentence, which is explained in the post on German word order. The pages on separable verbs and the imperative cover the related forms. Sentences with zu, such as Ich habe vergessen, Milch zu kaufen, are a different structure and are explained on the page about infinitive clauses.

Written by: Fatih Ün, German teacher · Last updated: 9 November 2026