Purpose clause with 'um … zu' (same subject)
Finalsatz mit 'um ... zu'
'um ... zu' + expresses purpose when both clauses share the same .
Structure
um + ... + zu + Infinitiv (am Satzende) - gleiches Subjekt in beiden Teilen
um + ... + zu + infinitive (at the end of the clause) - same subject in both parts
Details
- Part of Speech
- Sentence Structure
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
What it is. um ... zu + expresses purpose ("in order to"). It answers the question Wozu? / Warum? and is used only when both clauses share the same subject.
How it is formed. um + ... + zu + , with the infinitive at the end of the clause. The um ... zu construction has no subject of its own - it borrows the of the .
Examples.
- Ich lerne Deutsch, um in Deutschland zu studieren. - I am learning German in order to study in Germany.
- Sie spart Geld, um ein Auto zu kaufen. - She is saving money to buy a car.
- Wir fahren früh los, um den Stau zu vermeiden. - We leave early to avoid the traffic jam.
Common mistakes. um ... zu only works with one shared subject. If the two subjects are different, you must use damit instead: Ich erkläre es, damit du es verstehst (different subjects) - here um ... zu would be wrong. Also remember the zu before the final .
About Purpose clause with 'um … zu' (same subject)
'um ... zu' + expresses purpose when both clauses share the same .
When both clauses have the same , express purpose with 'um ... zu' + at the end: 'Ich lerne Deutsch, um in Deutschland zu studieren.' If subjects differ, use 'damit'.
'um ... zu' + drückt eine Absicht aus, wenn beide Satzteile dasselbe haben.
Caution
'um ... zu' has no subject of its own, so both parts must share one subject. If the subjects differ, you must use 'damit' instead. The infinitive with 'zu' stands at the end.