zur Folge haben
To result in
Littéralement: to have as the consequence
Use it to explain logical outcomes or consequences in a clear, slightly professional way.
En 15 secondes
- Used to link a cause to its logical result.
- Common in professional, academic, and serious daily contexts.
- Equivalent to 'to result in' or 'to entail' in English.
Signification
This phrase is used to describe a cause-and-effect relationship. It explains how one action or event logically leads to a specific result or consequence.
Exemples clés
3 sur 6Explaining a work delay
Der Streik hatte eine Verspätung der Züge zur Folge.
The strike resulted in a delay of the trains.
Talking about health
Wenig Schlaf kann Konzentrationsprobleme zur Folge haben.
Little sleep can result in concentration problems.
Texting about a dead phone
Mein leerer Akku hatte zur Folge, dass ich nicht anrufen konnte.
My empty battery resulted in me not being able to call.
Contexte culturel
This expression reflects the German cultural emphasis on 'Konsequenz' (consistency/consequence). It is deeply rooted in the analytical nature of the language, often used in legal, scientific, and journalistic contexts to establish clear accountability.
The Exam Booster
Use this phrase in your B2 German writing exam. It sounds much more sophisticated than just using 'weil' or 'deshalb' and will impress the examiners.
Watch the Grammar
Remember that 'zur' is a contraction of 'zu der'. Since 'Folge' is feminine, it must be 'zur', never 'zum'!
En 15 secondes
- Used to link a cause to its logical result.
- Common in professional, academic, and serious daily contexts.
- Equivalent to 'to result in' or 'to entail' in English.
What It Means
Imagine you are standing in front of a row of dominoes. You push the first one. The rest fall down. That chain reaction is exactly what zur Folge haben describes. It is a way to link a cause to its inevitable result. In English, we often say "to result in" or "to lead to." It sounds a bit more structured than just saying "and then." It implies that the second thing happened because of the first thing. It is the language of logic and consequences.
How To Use It
You treat this phrase like a standard verb construction. The word haben is the part you change. You conjugate it to match your subject. The part zur and Folge stays exactly as it is. It usually follows the pattern: [Subject] + [haben] + [Result] + [zur Folge]. For example: "The rain has a flood as a consequence." In German: Der Regen hatte eine Überschwemmung zur Folge. It is a very clean way to build a sentence. You can use it in the past, present, or future. Just remember to keep zur and Folge together like best friends.
When To Use It
This phrase is your best friend in professional settings. Use it when writing emails about project delays. Use it when explaining why a certain decision was made. It also works great in daily life for logical outcomes. If you forget to water your plants, it will zur Folge haben that they die. If you stay up too late, it will zur Folge haben that you are tired. It adds a touch of "adulting" to your German. It makes you sound like you understand how the world works. It is very common in news reports and scientific explanations too.
When NOT To Use It
Don't use this for very small, personal preferences. If you say "I like pizza, which results in me eating pizza," it sounds weird. It is too heavy for that. It is also not for simple sequences of time. If you go to the bakery and then the park, that is not a "consequence." Only use it when the first event actually forces the second one to happen. Avoid it in very casual slang-heavy chats with teenagers. They might think you sound like a textbook or a lawyer. It is a bit too formal for a wild party.
Cultural Background
Germans are famous for their love of order and logic. This phrase is a linguistic reflection of that mindset. It focuses on the "Ursache-Wirkungs-Prinzip" (cause-and-effect principle). In German culture, being clear about consequences is seen as being responsible. It is not just about what happened. It is about why it happened and what comes next. Using this phrase shows you value clarity and logical connections. It is a very "reliable" way to speak. It shows you have thought the situation through to the end.
Common Variations
You will often see schwerwiegende Folgen haben. This means "to have serious consequences." It is a favorite of news anchors. Another one is keine Folgen haben. This is a relief! It means "to have no consequences." You might also hear Folgen nach sich ziehen. This is a bit more formal and poetic. It literally means "to pull consequences after itself." Stick to zur Folge haben first, as it is the most versatile. It works in almost every situation from a broken coffee machine to a global economic shift.
Notes d'usage
The phrase is neutral to formal. It is highly effective in written reports, news, and academic papers, but can be used in daily speech to sound precise.
The Exam Booster
Use this phrase in your B2 German writing exam. It sounds much more sophisticated than just using 'weil' or 'deshalb' and will impress the examiners.
Watch the Grammar
Remember that 'zur' is a contraction of 'zu der'. Since 'Folge' is feminine, it must be 'zur', never 'zum'!
The Logic Factor
Germans value 'Ursache und Wirkung' (cause and effect). Using this phrase shows you are thinking logically, which is highly respected in German work culture.
Exemples
6Der Streik hatte eine Verspätung der Züge zur Folge.
The strike resulted in a delay of the trains.
A classic use in public announcements or news.
Wenig Schlaf kann Konzentrationsprobleme zur Folge haben.
Little sleep can result in concentration problems.
Used here to explain a biological cause and effect.
Mein leerer Akku hatte zur Folge, dass ich nicht anrufen konnte.
My empty battery resulted in me not being able to call.
A bit dramatic for a text, but very clear.
Fünf Pizzas zu essen wird Bauchschmerzen zur Folge haben!
Eating five pizzas will result in a stomachache!
Using a formal structure for a silly situation creates a funny effect.
Der Streit hatte leider die Trennung zur Folge.
The argument unfortunately resulted in the breakup.
Used for serious life events with logical outcomes.
Die neue Strategie wird eine Umsatzsteigerung zur Folge haben.
The new strategy will result in an increase in sales.
Very standard in business presentations.
Teste-toi
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'haben'.
Die starke Hitze ___ Waldbrände zur Folge.
The phrase is 'zur Folge haben', so you need the verb 'haben' (in this case, past tense 'hatte').
Which prepositional phrase completes the expression?
Seine Entscheidung wird große Veränderungen ___ haben.
The fixed collocation is always 'zur Folge haben'.
🎉 Score : /2
Aides visuelles
Formality of Cause-Effect Phrases
Using 'deshalb' or 'darum'
Ich war müde, deshalb schlief ich.
Using 'führen zu'
Das führt zu Problemen.
Using 'zur Folge haben'
Dies hatte Probleme zur Folge.
When to use 'zur Folge haben'
Work Reports
Project delays
Health Advice
Lack of vitamins
News/Politics
New laws
Science
Chemical reactions
Questions fréquentes
11 questionsNot necessarily, but it is very common for negative consequences. You can use it for positive things too, like Der Erfolg hatte eine Beförderung zur Folge (The success resulted in a promotion).
Yes, but it might sound a bit formal. If you use it with friends, it can sometimes sound like you are being intentionally dramatic or precise.
Führen zu (to lead to) is slightly more common in spoken German. Zur Folge haben is more precise and often used in writing or formal explanations.
No. While Folge can mean an episode of a TV show, in this context it means 'consequence' or 'result'.
You conjugate haben as the auxiliary verb. For example: Das hat eine Krise zur Folge gehabt (That has resulted in a crisis).
Yes, in this fixed expression, it is always zur. It doesn't change based on the rest of the sentence.
Yes, usually the result comes first, and zur Folge haben wraps it up. Example: Das hatte den Tod zur Folge.
They express the same logic, but deshalb is a conjunction used to start a new clause, while zur Folge haben is a verb phrase within a clause.
Yes, it is standard German and understood in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
A common mistake is forgetting the r and saying zu Folge, or confusing it with als Folge.
Usually, the subject is an event or action. Instead of 'He resulted in...', you would say 'His behavior resulted in...' (Sein Verhalten hatte... zur Folge).
Expressions liées
führen zu
verursachen
Konsequenzen ziehen
auslösen
bewirken
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