Breakdown of Der Junge ist zu schüchtern, um darüber zu sprechen.
sein
to be
der Junge
the boy
sprechen
to speak
zu
too (e.g., too big)
darüber
about it, over it
um ... zu
in order to
schüchtern
shy
Questions & Answers about Der Junge ist zu schüchtern, um darüber zu sprechen.
Why are there two instances of the word zu in this sentence?
They have different meanings! The first zu in zu schüchtern means 'too' (too shy). The second zu is part of the um ... zu structure, which connects the infinitive verb sprechen to the rest of the sentence, acting like the 'to' in 'to speak'.
Doesn't um ... zu usually mean 'in order to'? Why does the English translation just say 'to speak'?
You are right that um ... zu normally means 'in order to'. However, when it is paired with zu plus an adjective (like zu schüchtern), it expresses an excessive degree. In English, we just say 'too shy TO speak', but German requires the full um ... zu structure to complete this kind of thought.
Why do we use darüber instead of über es to say 'about it'?
In German, when a preposition like über (about) is combined with 'it' to refer to a thing or an abstract concept, you must use a 'da-word'. So, da plus the linking letter r plus über becomes darüber. You generally only use über ihn, über sie, or über es when talking about a specific person or animal.
Is the comma before um strictly necessary here?
Yes! In German, infinitive clauses (sections of a sentence built around a verb in its basic dictionary form) that are introduced by words like um, ohne, or anstatt must always be separated from the main clause by a comma.
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