PrepositionA1

um

around · at · about · in order to

A core preposition meaning 'around', 'at' (a time), or 'about'. It is also used in the infinitive construction 'um ... zu' meaning 'in order to'.

What um means

  1. around — spatial: movement or position around something
  2. at — with clock times
  3. about — with verbs like 'gehen um' (to be about), 'sich kümmern um' (to care about)
  4. in order to — in the construction 'um ... zu' + infinitive

Heard in real German videos

Lines where um was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.

  • Das verschafft mir Zeit, um Opa zu warnen.That buys me time to warn Grandpa.

Example sentences

  • Wir sitzen um den Tisch.We are sitting around the table.
  • Der Film beginnt um acht Uhr.The movie starts at eight o'clock.
  • Es geht um Geld.It's about money.
  • Ich lerne Deutsch, um in Deutschland zu arbeiten.I am learning German in order to work in Germany.

Grammar

Caseaccusative
Contractionum + das = ums

Usually takes the accusative case. The phrase 'um ... willen' uses the genitive.

Common phrases

  • um die Eckearound the corner
  • um ... herumaround (emphasizing surrounding)
  • um ... willenfor the sake of

The mistake English speakers make

Using 'für' instead of 'um' in the construction 'um ... zu'. For example, saying 'Ich brauche Geld für zu bezahlen' instead of 'Ich brauche Geld, um zu bezahlen'.

Don’t confuse it with

  • auf — 'Auf' means 'on' or 'onto', while 'um' means 'around' or 'at' (time).
  • über — 'Über' can mean 'about' in a more general sense, but 'um' is used in fixed phrases like 'es geht um'.

Questions learners ask

When do I use 'um ... zu'?

Use 'um ... zu' to express purpose, meaning 'in order to'. The subject of the main clause and the infinitive clause must be the same.

What case does 'um' take?

Um usually takes the accusative case. The phrase 'um ... willen' is an exception that uses the genitive.

How do I say 'at 3 o'clock' in German?

Use 'um': 'um drei Uhr'.

Related words

damitzufürbis