Breakdown of Zudem brauchen Sie keine Hilfe, um das Gerät kinderleicht zu putzen.
Sie
you (formal)
kein
no, not any
brauchen
to need
die Hilfe
the help
putzen
to clean
das Gerät
the machine / the equipment
um ... zu
in order to
kinderleicht
very easy
zudem
moreover
Questions & Answers about Zudem brauchen Sie keine Hilfe, um das Gerät kinderleicht zu putzen.
Why does the verb brauchen come right after Zudem?
Because Zudem is an adverbial connector. In German, these connectors take up the first position in a main clause, so the conjugated verb (brauchen) must follow immediately in the second position, pushing the subject (Sie) to the third position.
What is the purpose of the um ... zu structure in the second half of the sentence?
The um ... zu construction expresses a purpose or goal, meaning 'in order to' in English. It tells us what the lack of help is for: 'in order to clean the device'. Remember that in this structure, the infinitive verb (putzen) always goes at the very end of the phrase.
How is the word kinderleicht formed?
It is a compound word made of Kinder (children) and leicht (easy), literally meaning 'child-easy'. German frequently combines nouns and adjectives to make the adjective stronger, similar to 'ice-cold' in English. It means the task is a piece of cake!
Could I say nicht Hilfe instead of keine Hilfe?
No, because Hilfe is a noun being used here without an article. In German, whenever you negate a noun that has an indefinite article or no article at all, you must use a form of kein (meaning 'no' or 'not any'). You only use nicht to negate verbs, adjectives, or nouns with definite articles.
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