TOPIC · Sentence structure & conjunctions

Finalsätze with um…zu and damit in German

A2B1

After this lesson, you will be able to use the structures um…zu and damit to create purpose clauses correctly.

Purpose Clauses with um…zu and damit

In this lesson, we will explore how to express purposes in German using the structures „um…zu“ and „damit“. Both are used to describe the intention or goal behind an action.

1. Purpose Clauses with „um…zu“

The structure „um…zu“ is paired with an infinitive verb and requires that the subject of the main clause matches the subject of the infinitive construction. Here's how it works:

Example SentenceTranslation
Ich arbeite hart, um Geld zu verdienen.I work hard to earn money.
Sie trainiert fleißig, um bei dem Wettkampf zu gewinnen.She trains hard to win the competition.

When the subject in the main clause is the same as the subject in the „um…zu“ clause, you can omit the subject:

Example SentenceTranslation
Er spart, um ein Haus kaufen zu können.He saves to be able to buy a house.

2. Purpose Clauses with „damit“

The structure „damit“ operates as a subordinate clause (depending) and places the verb at the end of the clause. Here is an example:

Example SentenceTranslation
Ich lerne Deutsch, damit ich die Kultur besser verstehen kann.I learn German so that I can understand the culture better.

If the subject in the main clause is the same as in the „damit“ clause, both structures can be interchanged:

ExampleTranslation
Ich spare Geld, damit ich reisen kann.I save money so that I can travel.
Ich spare Geld, um (ich) reisen zu können.I save money to be able to travel.

However, when the subjects differ, only the structure „damit“ is appropriate:

ExampleTranslation
Ich lerne viel, damit meine Freunde mich unterstützen können.I study a lot so that my friends can support me.