Why is there sometimes an extra 'zu' added? for example anzunden/anzuzunden, or zubereiten/zuzubereiten? Thanks

Why is there sometimes an extra ‘zu’ added? for example anzunden/anzuzunden, or zubereiten/zuzubereiten? Thanks

When you have a second verb in English, so you often have to add ‘to’ before the second verb, for example:
I start to learn English.
We make the same in German, however, not ‘to’ but ‘zu’ - and by having the separate prefixes ‘an, aus, mit, zu’ etc we put ‘zu’ between the prefix and the root of the verb, for example:
Wir versuchen, das Feuer im Herd anzuzünden.
Sie begann schon für uns das Abendessen zuzubereiten.
You can read about it in one of the lessons from my course “Schritt für Schritt” here in Lingq.

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Thank you so much! I can see it now - just because the separable verb has ‘zu’ as its beginning it looked odd - but in reality it’s no different from putting ‘to’ before any other verb.

You already have an answer, so I just want to recommend you an exercise that might help you to practice this topic https://www.deutsch-ueben.tk/2021/05/infinitiv-mit-und-ohne-zu.html