'Zu' Definition

What is the meaning of the German word 'Zu'?

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The word 'Zu' is a German word that can mean 'To' in English. You can find example sentences below to help you understand how to use the word in context.

Definition of 'Zu' in English

Zu - To

preposition

The preposition 'zu' is commonly used in German to indicate the infinitive form of a verb, showing purpose, destination, or result. It is often translated as 'to' in English.

Example Sentences:

  • Niklas beschließt, dem Wald zu helfen, und beginnt sein Abenteuer. - Niklas decides to help the forest and begins his adventure.

German Challenges

Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb 'achten' to mean 'to pay attention to'?

Wir achten auf die Details

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The correct preposition to use with 'achten' to convey the meaning of 'to pay attention to' is 'auf', forming the phrase 'achten auf'. The sentence 'Wir achten auf die Details' translates to 'We pay attention to the details.' The other prepositions cannot be used to express the concept of paying attention to something. Fun Fact: 'Achten auf' requires the accusative case.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "fahren" to mean "to drive through"?

Er fährt durch die Stadt.

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The correct preposition to use with "fahren" to convey the meaning of 'to drive through' is 'durch'. Therefore, the sentence 'Er fährt durch die Stadt' translates to 'He drives through the city'. The use of 'durch' is required to convey the action of moving through a location in German.
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Beginner

Which coordinating conjunction fits best in this sentence?

Es regnet, aber wir werden trotzdem spazieren gehen

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The coordinating conjunction that is used to show contrast is 'aber', which means 'but'. In this example "aber" introduces a contrasting statement to "Es regnet," showing an intention to act despite the rain.
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Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the definite article "the" in the accusative case for a Feminine noun.

Ich lese die Zeitung.

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In German, the accusative case form of "die" remains "die" when used with feminine nouns. For example, in the sentence "Ich lese die Zeitung" (I read the newspaper), "Zeitung" is a feminine noun and "die" is used as the article in both the nominative and accusative cases. This consistency applies to all feminine nouns in German, where the article "die" does not change in the accusative case. Remembering that neuter and feminine articles do not change in the accusative case can be very helpful. It means that every time you see "das" or "die" as an article for a single noun, it will remain the same in the accusative case. Keep practicing to understand these changes in the different cases!
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Beginner

Which word correctly identifies the subject of the sentence?

Er öffnet das Buch und beginnt die komplizierten Texte zu lesen.

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In this context, 'Er' is a personal pronoun used in the nominative case, indicating the subject of the sentence, translated as 'He' in English. The pronoun 'Er' is essential here as it refers to a specific male subject who is performing the action. All the other options are personal pronouns as well but in different forms such as 'Ihr' (You - formal), 'Du' (You - informal) and 'Es' (It), and would not fit in this sentence gramatically.
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Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun 'er' in the accusative case.

Siehst du ihn da drüben?

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The accusative form of the personal pronoun 'er' (he) is 'ihn'. In the sentence "Siehst du ihn da drüben?" 'ihn' is used as the direct object, being the person seen (the one affected by the action of the verb). Here, the verb 'sehen' (to see) requires a direct object to complete its sense. 'Er' changes to 'ihn' in the accusative case to reflect this role.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "hängen" in this sentence?

Die Schlüssel hängen am Kleiderhaken

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The correct preposition to use with "hängen" is "an", resulting in "hängen an". Therefore, "Die Schlüssel hängen am Kleiderhaken" means "The keys are hanging on the clothes hook". Note that "an dem" gets shortened to "am".
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb 'sprechen' to mean 'to talk about'?

Sie spricht immer von ihrem Bruder

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The correct preposition to use with 'sprechen' to convey the meaning of 'to talk about' is 'von'. The phrase formed is 'sprechen von'. The sentence 'Sie spricht immer von ihrem Bruder' translates to 'She always talks about her brother.' The other prepositions cannot be used to express the concept of talking about something. Note that 'sprechen von' requires the dative case.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb 'arbeiten' to mean 'to work on'?

Er arbeitet an einem neuen Projekt

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The correct preposition to use with 'arbeiten' to convey the meaning of 'to work on' is 'an', forming the phrase 'arbeiten an'. The sentence 'Er arbeitet an einem neuen Projekt' translates to 'He is working on a new project.' The other prepositions are not used to express the concept of working on something. Fun Fact: 'Arbeiten an' requires the dative case.
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Beginner

Which verb completes the sentence to mean 'wear'?

Sie trägt immer schöne Kleider.

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In the context of the sentence, the word 'trägt' is a German verb that means 'wears' in English. The subject 'sie' (she) and the context of clothes makes 'trägt' the only suitable choice among the given options since all the other options are not connected with the context.
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