When can I use verb sein as it is in the sentence e.g zu sein?

Question

When can I use verb sein as it is in the sentence e.g zu sein?

Answer 1

Jerry is correct as far as I can tell, I see nothing further to add. A good explanation, deserves BA.

Answer 2

That's the infinitive form, so you use it just the same times, you would use  "be" or "to be" in English.

"To be or not to be..." - "(Zu) Sein oder nicht (zu) sein..."

"I want to be..." - "Ich will ... sein."

"It's hard to be..." - "Es ist schwer, ... zu sein"

Just think of some more examples yourself. :-)

Answer 3

You can use "zu sein" just like you would use "to be" in English: "it is good to be American" equals to "Es ist gut ein Amerikaner zu sein". But just like in English, "sein" or "to be" is the most irregular verb besides "haben" ("to have"), and you'll have to learn all its forms and their use. Sometimes learning a language can be a tedious job; but it's so much rewarding in the end.