Question 1

I usually see Umgang translated as "handling" or "dealings". Why does it mean "contact" here?

Accepted Answer

In German family law, Umgang (short for Umgangsrecht) specifically refers to visitation rights or contact between a child and a separated parent. While Umgang mit usually means handling or dealings with someone or something, in the context of custody, it is the standard legal term for physical contact.

Question 2

Could we use um ... zu instead of damit here to say "in order to make the child's welfare secure"?

Accepted Answer

No, you cannot use um ... zu here because the two clauses have different subjects. The subject of the first clause is wir (we), and the subject of the second clause is das Kindeswohl (the child's welfare). The um ... zu structure only works when the subject is the same in both parts. Therefore, you must use the conjunction damit (so that).

Question 3

Why is there an "es" in the middle of the word Kindeswohl?

Accepted Answer

The "es" is a linking element called a Fugen-s that connects the two nouns Kind (child) and Wohl (welfare). It originally comes from the genitive case, literally translating to "the welfare of the child". This is very common in German compound nouns.

Question 4

Since this lesson is about -ermaßen words, how could we add a word like bekanntermaßen (as is known) to this sentence?

Accepted Answer

You could place it right after the verb in the main clause: Wir planen bekanntermaßen den Umgang, damit das Kindeswohl sicher ist (As is known, we are planning...). Adverbs ending in -ermaßen are great for injecting established facts or admissions into formal statements like this one, even if this specific sentence does not happen to use one.

Wir planen den Umgang, damit das Kindeswohl sicher ist.

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