Breakdown of Er ist zu langsam, um das Projekt abzuschließen.
sein
to be
er
he
langsam
slow, slowly
zu
too (e.g., too big)
das Projekt
the project
abschließen
to complete
um ... zu
in order to
Questions & Answers about Er ist zu langsam, um das Projekt abzuschließen.
How does the zu [adjective], um ... zu structure work in this sentence?
This pattern is used to express that someone or something is "too [adjective] to [do something]". In the first half, zu langsam sets the excessive degree ("too slow"). The second half, um das Projekt abzuschließen, explains what the action is. Even though um ... zu normally translates as "in order to", in this specific combination it translates naturally as "too slow to complete the project".
Why is zu in the middle of abzuschließen instead of in front of it?
The verb abschließen (to complete/finish) is a separable verb, made of the prefix ab- and the core verb schließen. When you need to use a separable verb with zu, the zu gets sandwiched directly between the prefix and the core verb, and it is all written as a single word: abzuschließen.
Why does das Projekt come before the verb in the second half of the sentence?
Because um ... zu creates an infinitive clause, and in German infinitive clauses, the verb must go at the very end. So instead of the English word order "to complete the project", German puts the object first: um das Projekt abzuschließen (literally: "in order the project to complete").
Is the comma before um required?
Yes. In German, infinitive clauses that are introduced by the word um must always be separated from the main clause by a comma. This makes it easier to see where the new thought begins.
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