Care With Purpose in German

What you'll learn

• Describe everyday care routines using natural German.
• Build purpose clauses with um ... zu when both actions share a subject.
• Recognize when a different subject calls for damit instead.

German phrases for care with purpose

• Ich sitze auf diesem Stuhl, um dich bequem zu füttern.

  I sit in this chair in order to feed you comfortably.

  Both sitting and feeding have the same subject: ich. The purpose clause does not repeat ich.

• Ich prüfe das Badewasser, um sicherzugehen, dass es nicht zu heiß ist.

  I check the bath water in order to make sure it isn't too hot.

  Sichergehen means 'to make sure.' The following dass clause states what you want to be sure about.

• Ich packe zwei Ersatzwindeln ein, um für unseren Spaziergang bereit zu sein.

  I pack two spare nappies in order to be ready for our walk.

  Einpacken splits in the main clause: ich packe ... ein. In the purpose clause, zu comes before sein.

• Ich wasche mir die Hände, um dein Essen hygienisch zuzubereiten.

  I wash my hands in order to prepare your food safely.

  German normally says mir die Hände for 'my hands' in this expression. Hygienisch expresses preparing food safely through good hygiene.

• Ich komme näher, um deine leisen Laute besser zu hören.

  I move closer in order to hear your little sounds better.

  Näher kommen means 'to move closer.' Leise Laute naturally describes a baby's soft little sounds.

• Ich knie mich neben dich, um dir zu helfen, an dein Spielzeug zu kommen.

  I kneel beside you in order to help you reach your toy.

  Sich neben jemanden knien means 'to kneel down beside someone.' Helfen takes the dative: dir.

• Ich spreche leise, um dich bei deinem Nickerchen nicht zu stören.

  I speak quietly in order to avoid disturbing your nap.

  German naturally expresses 'avoid disturbing' here as nicht stören: 'not disturb.'

• Ich lege dein Spielzeug in Reichweite, damit du es selbst nehmen kannst.

  I put your toy within reach so that you can pick it up yourself.

  The subjects differ: ich puts the toy down, and du can take it. Use the familiar damit pattern here.

Key words

Giving a purpose with um ... zu

Use um ... zu to explain what an action is intended to achieve. The understood subject of the purpose clause must match the subject of the main clause. Put a comma before um, omit the repeated subject, and place the zu-infinitive at the end.

Placing zu inside separable verbs

With separable verbs, insert zu between the separable prefix and the rest of the infinitive. Write the result as one word.

Quick contrast with damit

For a shared subject, um ... zu is a concise choice; damit is also possible. When the purpose clause has a different subject, use damit rather than um ... zu.

More examples

Keep going in German