German Phrase
Vergiss nicht, die ganze Antibiotikakur zu Ende zu nehmen.
Meaning
This sentence is a firm reminder not to stop taking antibiotics prematurely. It stresses the importance of completing the full prescribed course to ensure the infection is fully cleared and to prevent antibiotic resistance.
When to use
Use this phrase when a doctor, pharmacist, or a caring friend wants to stress the medical importance of finishing a prescribed antibiotic treatment. It’s common in health‑care settings, at home after a prescription, or in a conversation about medication adherence.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vergissnicht,dieganzeAntibiotikakurzuEndezunehmen.
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Vergiss’ is the imperative form of ‘vergessen’ used for giving a direct reminder to ‘you’ (informal).
Negation with ‘nicht’
‘nicht’ follows the verb in an imperative sentence to negate the action: ‘Vergiss nicht’ = ‘Don’t forget’.
Definite article + adjective declension
‘die ganze’ is the feminine accusative form (die) + adjective (ganze) agreeing with ‘Antibiotikakur’ (feminine noun).
Infinitive clause with ‘zu’
The phrase ‘zu Ende zu nehmen’ is an infinitive construction; the first ‘zu’ belongs to the verb ‘nehmen’, the second ‘zu’ is part of the adverbial phrase ‘zu Ende’ (to the end).
Word order in infinitive clauses
In German infinitive clauses, ‘zu’ precedes the infinitive verb, and any adverbial modifiers (like ‘zu Ende’) appear before that ‘zu’. Hence ‘zu Ende zu nehmen’.
🗨In Conversation
Vergiss nicht, die ganze Antibiotikakur zu Ende zu nehmen.
Don't forget to finish the whole antibiotic course.
Danke, ich werde es nicht vergessen.
Thanks, I won't forget.
✕Common Mistakes
Vergessen nicht, die ganze Antibiotikakur zu Ende zu nehmen.
In an imperative you need the shortened form ‘Vergiss’, not the infinitive ‘vergessen’.
die ganz Antibiotikakur
The adjective must agree with the feminine noun ‘Antibiotikakur’, so use ‘ganze’, not ‘ganz’.
die ganze Antibiotikakur Ende zu nehmen.
Do not drop the first ‘zu’; the correct infinitive construction is ‘zu Ende zu nehmen’.
die ganze Antibiotikakur zu nehmen zu Ende.
Placing ‘zu Ende’ after ‘nehmen’ (…zu nehmen zu Ende) changes the meaning and sounds ungrammatical.
↔Alternatives
Nimm die gesamte Antibiotikakur bis zum Ende ein.
Take the entire antibiotic course until the end.
Bitte die Antibiotikakur komplett abschließen.
Please complete the antibiotic course completely.
Vergiss nicht, die Medikamente bis zum letzten Tag zu nehmen.
Don't forget to take the medication until the last day.
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries doctors stress ‘die ganze Antibiotikakur zu Ende zu nehmen’ because incomplete courses can lead to resistant bacteria, a serious public‑health issue. It’s considered polite to remind patients explicitly, and the phrase is often used in both professional and informal contexts. Avoid sounding overly casual; the imperative ‘Vergiss nicht’ is firm but still friendly when spoken with a caring tone.