Breakdown of Wir machen ein Praktikum, um mehr Erfahrung zu sammeln.
ein
a, an (eine)
machen
to make, to do
wir
we
mehr
more
die Erfahrung
the experience
sammeln
to gather
zu
to (infinitive marker)
um ... zu
in order to
das Praktikum
the internship
Questions & Answers about Wir machen ein Praktikum, um mehr Erfahrung zu sammeln.
How does the um ... zu structure work in this sentence?
The word um starts the second part of the sentence and means "in order", while zu goes right before the infinitive verb sammeln at the very end. Together, um ... zu sammeln means "in order to gather".
Why does mehr Erfahrung go in the middle of um and zu sammeln?
In an um ... zu clause, um always comes right after the comma, and the zu plus infinitive goes at the very end. Any extra details, like what you are gathering (mehr Erfahrung), must be sandwiched between them.
Do I always need a comma before um here?
Yes! In German, you must always use a comma to separate the main sentence (Wir machen ein Praktikum) from a purpose clause starting with um.
Doesn't sammeln usually mean "to collect"?
Exactly! While in English you "gain" or "get" experience, in German you literally "collect" it. The phrase Erfahrung sammeln is the standard, natural way to express this.
Why is the article ein instead of einen for the internship?
The word for internship is neuter (das Praktikum). Because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb machen, it takes the accusative case. For neuter nouns, the accusative word for "a" or "an" remains ein.
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