B2-62 · Express duties with haben + zu
The justice system
Use haben + zu + infinitive to state what a person is obliged to do in court, in official letters and in reported rules.
About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions
01
Duties in the courtroom
Haben + zu + infinitive says what a person is obliged to do. It means much the same as müssen but sounds stricter and more official: Der Zeuge hat die Wahrheit zu sagen. The person who must act stays the subject of the sentence.
| Construction | Example |
|---|---|
| with müssen | Der Zeuge muss die Wahrheit sagen. |
| with haben + zu | Der Zeuge hat die Wahrheit zu sagen. |
| with sein + zu | Die Wahrheit ist zu sagen. |
Der Zeuge hat die Wahrheit zu sagen.
The witness has to tell the truth.
Die Zeugin hat am Montag vor Gericht zu erscheinen.
The witness has to appear in court on Monday.
Das Gericht hat beide Seiten anzuhören.
The court has to hear both sides.
Die Richterin hat unabhängig zu entscheiden.
The judge has to decide independently.
Do not confuse this with sein + zu, where the thing becomes the subject: Die Wahrheit ist zu sagen. With a separable verb, zu goes between prefix and stem: anzuhören. Der Zeuge and die Zeugin mean the witness, das Gericht the court.
02
Official letters and the past
Letters from courts and authorities often use haben + zu with Sie. It states an obligation without any friendly softening. For the past, use hatte or hatten + zu + infinitive.
Sie haben die Gebühr innerhalb von zwei Wochen zu bezahlen.
You have to pay the fee within two weeks.
Sie haben Ihren Ausweis mitzubringen.
You have to bring your ID with you.
Der Kläger hatte die Kosten des Verfahrens zu tragen.
The plaintiff had to bear the costs of the proceedings.
Die Zeugen hatten im Flur zu warten.
The witnesses had to wait in the corridor.
In conversation, müssen is far more common; haben + zu belongs to formal or strict language. Die Gebühr means the fee, das Verfahren the proceedings and der Kläger the plaintiff, the person who brings a case to court.
03
Rights and duties in a dass-clause
When you report a duty in a dass-clause, the whole group zu + infinitive + haben moves to the end. The form of haben comes last: dass das Gericht die Rechte zu achten hat. A defence lawyer, a lay judge and a judge explain the rules of a fair trial.
Die Verteidigerin betont, dass das Gericht die Rechte des Angeklagten zu achten hat.
The defence lawyer stresses that the court has to respect the rights of the accused.
Ein Schöffe erklärt, dass er über das Urteil mitzuentscheiden hat.
A lay judge explains that he has to take part in deciding the verdict.
Jonas weiß, dass er die Entscheidung des Gerichts zu respektieren hat.
Jonas knows that he has to respect the court's decision.
Die Richterin erinnert daran, dass alle Zuschauer im Saal ruhig zu bleiben haben.
The judge reminds everyone that all spectators have to stay quiet in the courtroom.
With a separable verb, zu stays inside the infinitive: dass er mitzuentscheiden hat. Die Verteidigerin is the defence lawyer, der Schöffe a lay judge, an ordinary citizen who decides together with professional judges, and der Angeklagte the accused.
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