Formgleiches Subjekt: um … zu | anderes Subjekt: damit … Verb
Meaning and usage
Both um … zu and damit express a purpose; the subjects decide which one you use. If the person in the main clause also does the second action, use um … zu: Ich arbeite, um Geld zu verdienen. If someone else does it, use damit with its own subject: Ich arbeite, damit meine Kinder studieren können.
With the same subject damit is possible too, but um … zu is shorter and more usual. With different subjects only damit works. The classic mistake is Ich erkläre es noch einmal, um du es verstehst: the subjects differ, so it must be damit du es verstehst.
Examples 6
Ich lerne Deutsch, um in Wien zu studieren.
I'm learning German in order to study in Vienna.
Ich spreche langsam, damit du mich verstehst.
I'm speaking slowly so that you understand me.
Sie spart Geld, um sich ein Auto zu kaufen.
She's saving up to buy a car.
Sie gibt ihm Geld, damit er ein Ticket kaufen kann.
She's giving him money so he can buy a ticket.
Ich ging früh weg, um den ersten Bus zu bekommen.
I left early to catch the first bus.
Ich wiederhole es jetzt für dich, damit du es behältst.
I'm repeating it to you so you'll remember.
Test yourself
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1 Sprachbausteine
Ich gebe dir meinen Schlüssel, du in die Wohnung kommst.
Show answer
Correct answer: damit
The subject of the main clause is ich, but the one who gets in is du. With different subjects the purpose clause needs damit.
- zu alone cannot start a clause with its own subject.
- um … zu only works with the same subject and a zu-infinitive.
- für is a preposition, not a conjunction, and cannot start this clause.
In this topic: um … zu and damit
- um … zu um … zu: in order to
- damit … Verb damit: so that, with its own subject
- um … zu / damit same subject: um … zu; different subject: damit
- ohne … zu / ohne dass ohne … zu: without doing something
- (an)statt … zu (an)statt … zu: instead of doing something
- zu jung, um … zu too … to, enough to: zu …, um … zu
Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.