UM ....ZU

UM .... ZU

Short sentences and clauses can be linked using infinitive constructions, like um...zu... (in order to), ohne...zu... (without) and anstatt...zu... (instead) to make your level of German more complex.

​To make your German flow, you can link two clauses by using um...zu…, which means 'in order to'. This construction is sometimes referred to as the infinitive construction.

In the um...zu… clause, you must drop the subject and the verb in the second part of the clause, whatever its tense, and use an infinitive instead. Let's look at some examples:

Glossary

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• infinitive - The part of the verb found in the dictionary. It is the basic form of a verb without a subject, and the equivalent of English 'to...' verbs, and usually ends in -en, -n, -ern, -eln in German, eg spielen - to play.

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• subject - The person or thing doing the action described by the verb

Example one

Ich rufe meinen Freund an. Ich stelle ihm eine Frage. – I ring my friend. I ask him a question.

• You're going to link the two sentences together. As you already have a subject in the first sentence (ich), you can now drop the subject (ich) in the second sentence.

• Replace the verb in the second sentence - here the first person singular form stelle - with the infinitive form stellen.

• In German, the comma matters as it separates the two ideas.

Both sentences can now be linked like this:

Ich rufe meinen Freund an, um ihm eine Frage zu stellen. – I ring my friend in order to ask him a question.

Example two

Wir warten auf den Bus. Wir fahren in die Stadt. – We are waiting for the bus. We are going into town.

• Drop the subject (wir) in the second sentence.

• Replace the verb in the second sentence - here the first person plural form fahren - with the infinitive. The infinitive form fahren happens to look the same in this particular case.

• Use a comma to separate the two separate ideas.

This now gives us the following sentence:

Wir warten auf den Bus, um in die Stadt zu fahren. – We are waiting for the bus in order to go in to town.

Multiple Choice

What is the German for 'in order to'?

• ohne…zu...

• um…zu...

• anstatt…zu...

Multiple Choice

Which of these phrases means 'instead of'?

• anstatt...zu...

• um...zu...

• ohne...zu...

Multiple Choice

What is the correct ending for this sentence?

Wir fahren nach Bremen, ...

• ... das interaktive Museum zu besuchen.

• ... um das interactive Museum besuchen.

• ... um das interaktive Museum zu besuchen.

Multiple Choice

What is the German for: 'To get good marks, we work hard'?

• Ohne gute Noten zu bekommen, arbeiten wir fleißig.

• Um gute Noten zu bekommen, arbeiten wir fleißig.

• Anstatt gute Noten zu bekommen, arbeiten wir fleißig.

Um...zu... as the first idea

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You can also begin the sentence with the um...zu… clause, rather than just use it in the middle to join two sentences.

If you do, the um...zu… clause becomes the first idea in the sentence.

The main verb must come immediately after this clause. This is the second idea. The subject comes next.

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Um...zu... as the first idea

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Example one

Ich bleibe fit. Ich treibe viel Sport. – I stay fit. I do a lot of sport.

Um fit zu bleiben, treibe ich viel Sport. – In order to stay fit, I do a lot of sport.

The process can be broken down as follows:

• um fit zu bleiben = first idea

• treibe = second idea

• the subject, ich, is moved to come after the verb - ich treibe > treibe ich

• the comma matters - it separates the two ideas

Um...zu... as the first idea

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Example two

Sie hilft den Alten. Sie arbeitet im Altersheim. – She helps old people. She works in an old people's home.

Um den Alten zu helfen, arbeitet sie im Altersheim. – In order to help old people, she works in an old people's home.

The same process applies:

• um den Alten zu helfen = first idea

• arbeitet = second idea

• the subject, sie, is moved to come after the verb - sie arbeitet > arbeitet sie

• the comma matters - it separates the two ideas

um…zu… with the infinitives of separable verbs

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When you use a separable verb, you usually have to take off the prefix and put it at the end of the clause.

anziehen - to put on

• sie zieht einen Pulli an - she puts a jumper on

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fernsehen - to watch TV

• ich sehe oft fern - I often watch TV

​In an um...zu... clause, the infinitive has to be at the end. But when using a separable verb, you 'separate' the prefix and the rest of the infinitive by inserting zu between them, so that they sit together as one word at the end of the sentence.

The following examples will explain it more clearly, where you can see that the zu is embedded within the separable verb.

• aufstehen – to get up > um… aufzustehen – in order to get up

• fernsehen – to watch TV > um… fernzusehen – in order to watch TV

• abfahren – to depart > um… abzufahren – in order to depart

Ich gehe ins Wohnzimmer, um eine Stunde fernzusehen. – I go into the lounge in order to watch TV for an hour.

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​The zu has forced its way between the prefix and the rest of the infinitive and snuggled in nicely.

Multiple Choice

How would you complete this sentence?

Wir sind früh abgefahren, ...

• … um rechtzeitig anzukommen.

• … um rechtzeitig zu ankommen.

• … um zu rechtzeitig ankommen.

Open Ended

Link these sentences with um...zu… in the middle, then translate them into English to check your understanding.

Ich bin einkaufen gegangen. Ich habe ein Tablet abgeholt.

​Ich bin einkaufen gegangen, um ein Tablet abzuholen. – I went shopping in order to buy a tablet.

Open Ended

Link these sentences with um...zu… in the middle, then translate them into English to check your understanding.

Der Bäcker ist früh da. Er macht den Laden auf.

Der Bäcker ist früh da, um den Laden aufzumachen. – The baker is there early in order to open the shop.

Der Bäcker ist früh da, um den Laden aufzumachen. – The baker is there early in order to open the shop.

Open Ended

Link these sentences with um...zu… in the middle, then translate them into English to check your understanding.

Er bleibt zu Hause. Er will fernsehen.

Er bleibt zu Hause, um fernzusehen. – He's staying at home to watch television.

Other constructions with 'zu'

Other useful constructions using zu are:

• ohne...zu... – without doing something

• (an)statt...zu... – instead of doing something

What do they have in common?

• They imply negative action - 'without doing it' or 'instead of doing it', means you don't actually do it.

• They are used in exactly the same way as um...zu...

• They can start the clause, or link two clauses.

• You still drop the subject and the verb in the second sentence and replace them with the infinitive.

• You may need to omit the negative word.

Examples

Look at how the example sentences in the first table are linked together in the second table:

Separate sentences	Meaning
Ich war oft in Bremen. Ich habe das Universum nicht besucht.	I have often been in Bremen. I have not visited the Universum.

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Linked sentences	Meaning
Ich war oft in Bremen, ohne das Universum zu besuchen.	I have often been in Bremen without visiting the Universum.

​Did you know?

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Bremen has been an important port and commercial and industrial city for hundreds of years. Its interactive science museum, das Universum, welcomes thousands of visitors each year.

Visitors can explore three main themes at the museum, namely technology, humans and nature - Technik, Mensch und Natur.

The museum is housed in a very distinctive-looking, metal building that looks like a cross between a mussel and a whale.

Multiple Choice

Which of these sentences is the correct way to say 'I went out without telling my parents'?

• Ich bin ausgegangen, ohne meinen Eltern das sagen.

• Ich bin ausgegangen, ohne meinen Eltern das zu sagen.

• Ich bin ausgegangen, ohne zu meinen Eltern das sagen.

Examples

Look at how the example sentences in the first table are linked together in the second table:

Separate sentences	Meaning
Ich spiele oft am Computer. Ich mache die Hausaufgaben nicht.	I often play on the computer. I don't do my homework.

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Linked sentences	Meaning
Ich spiele oft am Computer, anstatt die Hausaufgaben zu machen.	I often play on the computer instead of doing my homework..

trExamples

Look at how the example sentences in the first table are linked together in the second table:

Separate sentences	Meaning
Sie sind in die U-Bahn gesprungen. Sie haben keine Fahrkarten gekauft.	They jumped into the underground tram. They didn't buy any ticket.

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Linked sentences	Meaning
Sie sind in die U-Bahn gesprungen, ohne Fahrkarten zu kaufen.	They jumped into the underground tramp without buying tickets.

Multiple Choice

Which of these sentences is correct?

• Wir sind schnell in die U-Bahn gestiegen, ohne Fahrkarten kaufen.

• Wir sind schnell in die U-Bahn gestiegen, Fahrkarten zu kaufen.

• Wir sind schnell in die U-Bahn gestiegen, ohne Fahrkarten zu kaufen.

Examples

Look at how the example sentences in the first table are linked together in the second table:

Separate sentences	Meaning
Er fährt gern Kanu. Er segelt nicht.	He likes canoeing. He doesn't sail.

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Linked sentences	Meaning
Er fährt gern Kanu, anstatt zu segeln.	He likes canoeing instead of sailing.

Other infinitive constructions as the first idea

​If you start a sentence with one of the zu clauses, remember the position of the main verb immediately after it.

​Example one

Ich höre dem Lehrer nicht zu. Ich sitze im Unterricht. – I don't listen to the teacher. I sit in class.

Ohne dem Lehrer zuzuhören, sitze ich im Unterricht. – I sit in class without listening to the teacher. (literally: Without listening to the teacher, sit I in class)

The process can be broken down as follows:

• Ohne dem Lehrer zuzuhören = first idea

• sitze = second idea

• the subject ich is moved to come after the verb

• the comma matters - it separates the two ideas

Open Ended

Link these sentences with the construction given, then translate them into German:

Ich möchte eine neue Jacke kaufen. (ohne zu). Ich möchte nicht viel bezahlen.

Example two

Ich schlafe nicht. Ich lese. – I don't sleep. I read.

Anstatt zu schlafen, lese ich. – Instead of sleeping, I read.

• Anstatt zu schlafen = first idea

• lese = second idea

• the subject ich is moved to come after the verb

• the comma matters - it separates the two ideas

Multiple Choice

Which of these sentences is the correct way to say, 'He goes sailing instead of canoeing'?

• Er segelt, anstatt zu Kanu fahren.

• Er segelt, anstatt Kanu fahren.

• Er segelt, anstatt Kanu zu fahren.

Ich möchte eine neue Jacke kaufen, ohne viel zu bezahlen. – I would like to buy a new jacket without paying a lot.

Open Ended

Link these sentences with the construction given, then translate them into German:

(anstatt zu) Wir gehen ins Kino. Wir gehen ins Restaurant.

Anstatt ins Kino zu gehen, gehen wir ins Restaurant. – Instead of going to the cinema, we are going to the restaurant.

Open Ended

Link these sentences with the construction given, then translate them into German:

(ohne zu) Er hat nicht gewartet. Er ist ins Wasser gesprungen.

Ohne zu warten, ist er ins Wasser gesprungen. – Without waiting, he jumped into the water.

Open Ended

Link these sentences with the construction given, then translate them into German:

Wir werden die Altstadt (historic city center) besichtigen. (ohne zu) Wir werden nicht lange bleiben.

Wir werden die Altstadt besichtigen, ohne lange zu bleiben. – We will visit the old part of town without staying long.

Multiple Choice

What is the correct beginning for this sentence?

… macht sie ein FSJ (Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr = voluntary social year).

• Anstatt sofort studieren,

• Anstatt sofort zu studieren,

• Anstatt sofort zu studiert,

Multiple Choice

What is the German for: 'Without having breakfast, I went to school'?

• Ohne zu frühstücken, bin ich in die Schule gegangen.

• Ohne frühstücken, bin ich in die Schule gegangen.

• Ohne zu frühstücken, ich bin in die Schule gegangen.

Multiple Choice

What is the correct ending for this sentence?

Wir fahren nach Bremen, ...

• ... das interaktive Museum zu besuchen.

• ... um das interaktive Museum besuchen.

• ... um das interaktive Museum zu besuchen.

​Ihr habt es geschafft! Ihr seid Helden! Zur Belohnung etwas mehr Weisheit*:

*You did it! Yeah! You are my heroes! As a reward some extra wisdom for you ;-)

​P.S.: Please let me know if you encountered a glitch or mistake! Danke!