Breakdown of Ist sie zu überqualifiziert, um die Arbeit zu machen?
sein
to be
sie
she
machen
to make, to do
die Arbeit
the work
Questions & Answers about Ist sie zu überqualifiziert, um die Arbeit zu machen?
How exactly does the zu ... um ... zu structure work in this sentence?
This structure expresses that something is too extreme for a certain result to happen. The first part is zu + adjective (zu überqualifiziert / too overqualified). The second part is an infinitive clause starting with um and ending with zu + infinitive (um die Arbeit zu machen / to do the job). Together, they mean "too overqualified to do the job".
Why are there two zu's in this sentence?
They serve completely different grammatical functions! The first zu is an adverb meaning "too" (zu überqualifiziert = too overqualified). The second zu is part of the infinitive verb construction (zu machen = to do), just like the "to" in English infinitives.
Is saying zu überqualifiziert common, even though "too overqualified" sounds a bit redundant?
Yes, it is! While technically redundant because the prefix über- already implies "too much", native speakers often say zu überqualifiziert in colloquial German for extra emphasis, exactly like people do in English.
Is the comma before um optional?
No, it is mandatory. In German, extended infinitive clauses introduced by words like um (in order to), ohne (without), or anstatt (instead of) must always be separated from the main clause by a comma.