Breakdown of Sie ist zu unerfahren, um das Projekt zu leiten.
sein
to be
sie
she
zu
too (e.g., too big)
das Projekt
the project
um ... zu
in order to
leiten
to manage (direct, lead)
unerfahren
inexperienced
Questions & Answers about Sie ist zu unerfahren, um das Projekt zu leiten.
How does the 'zu ... um ... zu' structure translate to 'too ... to' here?
In German, to say someone is too much of something to do a certain action, you use zu before the adjective (zu unerfahren) and then start a new clause with um, putting zu plus the infinitive verb at the very end (um ... zu leiten). Literally, it translates to 'She is too inexperienced, in order the project to lead.'
Why is there a comma after unerfahren? We wouldn't use one in English.
In German, infinitive clauses that start with um, ohne, or anstatt must be separated from the main clause by a comma. So the comma right before um das Projekt zu leiten is a strict punctuation rule, unlike in English!
Could I say 'um zu leiten das Projekt' instead, matching the English word order?
No, that would be incorrect. In an um ... zu clause, um acts as the anchor at the beginning, and zu plus the infinitive (zu leiten) is always pushed to the very end of that clause. Any objects or extra information like das Projekt must be sandwiched between them.
How is the word unerfahren formed?
It is made by adding the prefix un- (which means not, just like in English) to the adjective erfahren (experienced). Erfahren also happens to be the past participle of the verb erfahren (to experience or to find out).
Learn Sie ist zu unerfahren, um das Projekt zu leiten and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free