Ich lerne Deutsch, um in Deutschland zu studieren.
English: I am learning German in order to study in Germany.
- Language
- German
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Nebensätze und Satzstruktur
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Final clauses ('Finalsätze') in German are subordinate clauses that express the purpose or goal of an action. They answer the question 'Why?' or 'For what purpose?'.
When to use it
Use final clauses in German when you want to explain the purpose or intention behind an action. They are often used to say why someone does something or what they want to achieve.
Key forms
- um ... zu + Infinitiv (when the subject is the same in both clauses)
- damit + Verb am Ende (when the subject is different)
Examples
Er macht Sport, um gesund zu bleiben.
English: He does sports in order to stay healthy.
Sie fährt früh los, damit sie nicht zu spät kommt.
English: She leaves early so that she is not late.
Wir sparen Geld, damit wir eine Reise machen können.
English: We save money so that we can go on a trip.
Tips
- Use 'um ... zu' only if the subject in both parts of the sentence is the same.
- 'damit' is used when the subjects are different in the main and subordinate clause.
- The verb goes to the end of the clause after 'damit'.