Breakdown of Wir haben zu wenig Geld, um die Position anzubieten.
haben
to have
das Geld
the money
wir
we
zu
too (e.g., too big)
anbieten
to offer
um ... zu
in order to
wenig
little, few
die Position
the position
Questions & Answers about Wir haben zu wenig Geld, um die Position anzubieten.
How does the um ... zu structure work with the separable verb anbieten?
anbieten is a separable verb made of an + bieten. In an infinitive clause with zu, the zu is sandwiched between the separable prefix and the verb stem. This is why it becomes one single word: anzubieten.
Could I leave out the um and just say zu die Position anbieten?
No, the um is required here. When connecting a consequence to a zu (too) phrase, German always uses the um ... zu (in order to) structure. While English just says 'too little money to offer', German literally translates to 'too little money in order to offer'.
Why doesn't wenig have an adjective ending like weniges Geld?
When wenig (little) and viel (much) are used with uncountable singular nouns like Geld or Zeit, they usually don't take any adjective endings. They stay uninflected, so it is simply zu wenig Geld.
Do I always need a comma before the um ... zu clause?
Yes! Unlike in English, German strictly requires a comma to separate the main clause from an extended infinitive clause that starts with um, ohne, or anstatt.
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