German · B1 · Family moment
My own schoolbag checklist in German
Help your child take ownership of packing their schoolbag by linking each small action to its purpose. Use um ... zu to say why someone does something when the same person performs both actions.
What you'll learn
- Describe eight practical schoolbag-checking steps in German.
- Express a purpose with um ... zu when both actions share a subject.
- Place a comma before um and put zu with the infinitive at the end.
- Recognize when a different subject requires damit instead.
German phrases for my own schoolbag checklist
Ich überprüfe meine Liste, um nichts zu vergessen.
I check my list to avoid forgetting anything.
Um nichts zu vergessen naturally expresses the purpose of not forgetting anything.
Ich öffne jedes Fach, um mein Lesetagebuch zu finden.
I open every pocket to find my reading diary.
Fach is a natural word for a pocket or compartment in a schoolbag.
Ich nehme alte Blätter heraus, um mehr Platz zu schaffen.
I take out old papers to make more space.
Mehr Platz schaffen means to make more room.
Ich fülle meine Flasche, um genug Wasser zu haben.
I fill my bottle to have enough water.
The person filling the bottle is also the person who will have the water.
Ich schaue mir den Stundenplan für morgen an, um die richtigen Bücher auszuwählen.
I look at tomorrow's timetable to choose the right books.
In auswählen, zu goes between aus- and wählen: auszuwählen.
Ich lege meine Brille in ihr Etui, um sie zu schützen.
I put my glasses in their case to protect them.
German uses the singular die Brille for a pair of glasses; sie refers back to it.
Ich packe heute Abend, um morgens Zeit zu sparen.
I pack tonight to save time in the morning.
Heute Abend is the natural choice for tonight when referring to evening packing.
Ich hake jedes Kästchen ab, um mir zu merken, was schon fertig ist.
I tick each box to remember what is ready.
Sich etwas merken means to remember or keep something in mind. The purpose phrase here is um mir zu merken.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
die Schultasche, die Schultaschen
schoolbag
A general word for a bag used for school.
die Liste, die Listen
list
Meine Liste means my list.
das Fach, die Fächer
compartment; pocket
Used for separate sections inside a schoolbag.
das Lesetagebuch, die Lesetagebücher
reading diary
A notebook for recording reading and thoughts about books.
das Blatt, die Blätter
sheet of paper
Alte Blätter refers to old loose papers here.
der Platz, die Plätze
space; place
For available room, use the singular: mehr Platz.
die Flasche, die Flaschen
bottle
Used here for the child's water bottle.
der Stundenplan, die Stundenpläne
school timetable
Der Stundenplan für morgen means tomorrow's timetable.
das Buch, die Bücher
book
Die richtigen Bücher means the right books.
die Brille, die Brillen
glasses; pair of glasses
One pair is singular in German.
das Etui, die Etuis
case
Here it means a protective case for glasses.
das Kästchen, die Kästchen
small box; checkbox
Ein Kästchen abhaken means to tick a box.
One person, two linked actions
Use um ... zu to express a purpose: what someone does something for. The subject of the main clause also performs the purpose action. Do not repeat that subject inside the um clause.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Shared subject | Ich + action, um + purpose + zu + infinitive. | Ich fülle meine Flasche, um genug Wasser zu haben. |
| Negative purpose | um + nichts + zu + infinitive | Ich überprüfe meine Liste, um nichts zu vergessen. |
Building the purpose clause
Separate the purpose clause with a comma. Start it with um and normally end it with zu plus the infinitive. With separable verbs, insert zu between the prefix and the rest of the verb.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple infinitive | um + other words + zu sparen | Ich packe heute Abend, um morgens Zeit zu sparen. |
| Separable infinitive | auswählen → auszuwählen | Ich schaue mir den Stundenplan an, um die richtigen Bücher auszuwählen. |
| Keeping a needed pronoun | um + mir + zu merken | Ich hake jedes Kästchen ab, um mir zu merken, was schon fertig ist. |
Quick contrast with damit
When both actions share a subject, um ... zu is a compact choice; damit is also possible. When the purpose action has a different subject, use the already-known damit construction instead.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Same person: I pack; I save time | shared subject → um ... zu | Ich packe heute Abend, um morgens Zeit zu sparen. |
| Different people: I help; you finish | different subjects → damit | Ich helfe dir, damit du schneller fertig bist. |
More examples
Ich öffne mein Etui, um meine Brille hineinzulegen.
I open my case to put my glasses inside.
The same person opens the case and puts the glasses inside. Hineinlegen becomes hineinzulegen.
Ich überprüfe meinen Stundenplan, um nur die richtigen Bücher einzupacken.
I check my timetable to pack only the right books.
Einpacken becomes einzupacken in the purpose clause.
Ich lege meine Liste auf den Tisch, um sie nicht zu vergessen.
I put my list on the table so I don't forget it.
Use nicht before zu vergessen to express this negative purpose.