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'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.

Related Words

Wald Zu Helfen Essen

German Challenges

Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "gehen" to mean "to go to"?

Ich gehe morgen zum Arzt

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The correct preposition to use with "gehen" to convey the meaning of "to go to" is "zu", forming the phrase "gehen zu". This means the sentence "Ich gehe morgen zum Arzt" translates to "I am going to the doctor tomorrow". Note that 'zu' changes to 'zum' as a shorthand for 'zu dem'.
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Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun 'ich' in the dative case.

Sie hat mir den Schlüssel gegeben

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The dative case form of the personal pronoun 'ich' (I) is 'mir'. In the sentence "Sie hat mir den Schlüssel gegeben," 'mir' is used as the indirect object, receiving the action of the verb. Here, the verb 'geben' (to give) requires an indirect object to indicate to whom the key is given. 'Ich' changes to 'mir' in the dative case to reflect its role as the recipient of the action in the sentence.
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Intermediate

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the genitive case for the masculine noun "Vater" (father)?

Das ist das Auto des Vaters.

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The definite article for masculine nouns in the genitive case is "des." Therefore, the sentence should be "Das ist das Auto des Vaters," which translates to "That is the father's car" in English.
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Intermediate

Which auxiliary verb correctly completes the sentence to fit the context given?

Die Katze hat den ganzen Tag geschlafen.

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Although 'schlafen' is an intransitive verb, it uses 'haben' as the helping verb in the perfect tense because it does not indicate a change of state or location. The correct sentence is 'Die Katze hat den ganzen Tag geschlafen', which means 'The cat slept the whole day'. Understanding this distinction is important for accurately expressing actions in German. Note that this is different to 'einschlafen' which means 'to fall asleep'. This uses 'sein' because it indicates a change of state.
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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the genitive case for the neuter noun "Kind" (Noun)?

Das Haus des Kindes ist groß

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The genitive case is used for possession. The correct definite article for neuter nouns in the genitive case is "des." Thus, the sentence should be "Das Haus des Kindes ist groß", which translates to "The child's house is big" in English.
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Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the possessive pronoun 'mein' in the dative case.

Ich schreibe meinem Onkel einen Brief

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The dative case form of the possessive pronoun 'mein' (my) when used with a masculine noun is 'meinem'. The definitive masculine noun 'Onkel' changes the possessive pronoun 'mein' to 'meinem' in the dative case to reflect its role as the recipient of the action in the sentence 'Ich schreibe meinem Onkel einen Brief', translating to 'I write a letter to my uncle' in English.
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Intermediate

Which auxiliary verb correctly completes the sentence to fit the context given?

Meine Schwester ist zum Supermarkt gegangen.

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'Gehen' indicates movement, so 'sein' is often used as the auxiliary verb in its past tense. Therefore, 'Meine Schwester ist zum Supermarkt gegangen' ('My sister went to the supermarket') is the appropriate sentence. While 'haben' is used with most past tense verbs in German, 'sein' is used with certain intransitive verbs that indicate a change of location or state, like 'gehen'. It's these nuances that can help make your German more fluent and accurate.
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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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Beginner

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

Ich esse den Apfel.

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In the given sentence, "Ich esse den Apfel," the word "Apfel" is a masculine noun. In German, "Apfel" is "der Apfel" in the nominative case. In the accusative case, for masculine nouns, the definite article changes from "der" to "den." Therefore, the correct sentence is "Ich esse den Apfel," which translates to "I eat the apple" in English. Remember that the nominative masculine definite article "der" changes to "den" in the accusative. This is crucial for constructing correct sentences in German. Keep practicing to familiarize yourself with these changes.
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Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the indefinite article "a/an" in the dative case for a neuter noun.

Ich gebe einem Kind ein Spielzeug.

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The sentence indicates the indirect object in the dative case. We are giving a toy to a child. The correct form of the indefinite article for neuter nouns in the dative case is "einem." Therefore, the sentence should be "Ich gebe einem Kind ein Spielzeug," which means "I give a toy to a child" in English.
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German Topics

Prepositional Verbs Accusative Prepositions Modal Verbs Cases Summary Accusative Case Dative Case Genitive Case Auxiliary Verbs Personal Pronouns Cases Dative Prepositions Coordinating Conjunctions Subordinating Conjunctions

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