Breakdown of Der Bewerber ist zu unerfahren, um uns zu helfen.
sein
to be
uns
us
zu
too (e.g., too big)
helfen
to help
um ... zu
in order to
der Bewerber
the applicant
unerfahren
inexperienced
Questions & Answers about Der Bewerber ist zu unerfahren, um uns zu helfen.
How does the 'zu [adjective], um ... zu' structure work here?
It directly translates the English 'too [adjective] to [do something]'. The phrase zu unerfahren sets up the excessive degree ('too inexperienced'), and the infinitive clause um uns zu helfen explains what the applicant is too inexperienced to do.
Why is there a comma before um?
In German, infinitive clauses introduced by words like um, ohne, or anstatt must always be separated from the main clause by a comma. English doesn't use a comma here ('too inexperienced to help us'), so this is an important punctuation rule to remember!
Is uns in the accusative or dative case here?
It is in the dative case. The verb helfen (to help) always requires its object to be in the dative case. The German pronoun for 'us' is uns in both the accusative and dative, but grammatically it is acting as a dative object in this sentence.
How is the word unerfahren formed?
It is formed by adding the negative prefix un- to erfahren (experienced). The word erfahren is actually the past participle of the verb erfahren (to experience or find out), but here it functions perfectly as an adjective.
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