Word
Zeigen Sie dem Kollegen das Dokument, damit er es prüfen kann.
Meaning
Show the document to the colleague so that he can check it.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Zeigen Sie dem Kollegen das Dokument, damit er es prüfen kann.
er
he
es
it
Sie
you (formal)
können
can / to be able to
Questions & Answers about Zeigen Sie dem Kollegen das Dokument, damit er es prüfen kann.
Why are there two verbs at the end of the sentence, and why is kann last?
The word damit (so that) is a subordinating conjunction, which kicks the conjugated verb to the very end of the clause. Here, we have the modal verb kann and the infinitive prüfen. In a normal sentence, it would be er kann es prüfen. Because of damit, the conjugated verb kann moves to the very end, right after the infinitive.
Why does Kollege have an -n at the end here (Kollegen)? Is it plural?
No, it is singular! Der Kollege belongs to a special group of masculine nouns (often called n-declension or weak nouns). These nouns add an -n or -en in every case except the nominative (the subject). Since the colleague is the indirect object receiving the document, it is in the dative case (dem Kollegen).
What do the pronouns er and es refer to right after damit?
er means he and refers back to the masculine noun der Kollege (the colleague). es means it and refers back to the neuter noun das Dokument (the document). In German, pronouns must always match the grammatical gender of the noun they replace.
Why does the sentence start with the verb Zeigen?