Postpositioned dative prepositions (zuliebe)

For the Sake of...

To say you are doing something "for the sake of" a person or concept, use zuliebe.

Unlike most prepositions, zuliebe is postpositioned—it is placed directly after the dative noun or pronoun it modifies.

For the sake of simplicity, I am decluttering the house.
Der Einfachheit zuliebe miste ich das Haus aus.
For the sake of minimalism, he gives his belongings away.
Dem Minimalismus zuliebe gibt er seinen Besitz weg.

When a phrase with zuliebe starts a sentence, it occupies the first position. The conjugated verb immediately follows it to maintain standard verb-second word order.

For the sake of lightness, I keep nothing except the essentials.
Der Leichtigkeit zuliebe behalte ich nichts außer dem Wesentlichen.

Using "zuliebe" Mid-Sentence and with Pronouns

The zuliebe phrase can also appear mid-sentence, still immediately following its dative noun.

We declutter superfluous things for the sake of order.
Wir misten der Ordnung zuliebe überflüssige Dinge aus.

You can also use zuliebe with a person (a dative noun or personal pronoun) to say you are doing something for their sake.

For my girlfriend's sake, I try to let go.
Meiner Freundin zuliebe versuche ich, loszulassen.
For my sake, he focuses on the essentials.
Mir zuliebe konzentriert er sich auf das Wesentliche.
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