Breakdown of Wir sind zu arm, um den Bewerber zu bezahlen.
sein
to be
wir
we
zu
too (e.g., too big)
bezahlen
to pay
arm
poor
um ... zu
in order to
der Bewerber
the applicant
Questions & Answers about Wir sind zu arm, um den Bewerber zu bezahlen.
How does the zu ... um ... zu structure work in this sentence?
This structure is the German way to say "too [adjective] to [do something]". In the first half of the sentence, zu arm means "too poor". The second half, um ... zu bezahlen, means "to pay". Notice that um opens the infinitive clause, and the zu goes immediately before the infinitive verb at the very end of the sentence.
Why is there a comma before um?
In German, infinitive clauses that start with signal words like um, ohne, or anstatt must be separated from the main clause by a comma. While English doesn't use a comma before "to pay" in this context, the comma in German is mandatory.
Why is it den Bewerber instead of der Bewerber?
The applicant is the person receiving the action of being paid, which makes him the direct object of the verb bezahlen. Because Bewerber is a masculine noun, its definite article must change to the accusative form, which is den.
Could I use the verb zahlen instead of bezahlen here?
You could, but bezahlen is the more natural choice. Bezahlen is typically used when you explicitly mention the specific person or thing you are compensating (like an applicant or a bill) as a direct object. Zahlen is often used more generally for the physical act of giving money, like saying "I'm paying" (Ich zahle).
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