Breakdown of Das Gehalt ist zu schlecht, um es zu akzeptieren.
sein
to be
es
it
schlecht
bad
zu
too (e.g., too big)
das Gehalt
the salary
um ... zu
in order to
akzeptieren
to accept
Questions & Answers about Das Gehalt ist zu schlecht, um es zu akzeptieren.
How does the zu ... um ... zu structure work in this sentence?
The phrase zu schlecht (too bad) sets up an extreme condition, and the um ... zu clause tells us the result of that condition. It translates literally to 'The salary is too bad in order to accept it.' This is the standard German formula for expressing that something is 'too [adjective] to [verb].'
Why do we need the word es here? English just says 'too bad to accept.'
The verb akzeptieren (to accept) requires a direct object in this clause. Because it refers back to das Gehalt (the salary), which is a neuter noun, we use the neuter pronoun es (it). English often drops the object in these types of sentences, but German requires it to be grammatically complete.
Why is there a comma before um?
In German grammar, infinitive clauses that are introduced by um, ohne, or anstatt must always be separated from the main sentence by a comma. Here, the comma neatly separates the main idea (the bad salary) from the infinitive action (accepting it).
I recognize akzeptieren from English! Are there any special rules for this verb?
Because akzeptieren is a verb ending in -ieren, it follows a specific rule for the past perfect tense: it does not get a ge- prefix. If you wanted to say 'I accepted it', it would be Ich habe es akzeptiert (never geakzeptiert).
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