Learn Hardcore German: Vielleicht rufe ich auch meinen Kollegen an, damit wir zusammen zum Geschenk shoppen gehen. - Maybe I will also call my colleague so that we can go shopping for the gift together.

In German, many verbs come with separable prefixes—in this case, anrufen (meaning “to call”). When the verb is conjugated in an independent clause, the prefix separates and is positioned at the end. This is why we have “rufe ich … an” instead of keeping the prefix attached.

What is the function of damit in this sentence, and how does it affect the word order?

Damit is a subordinating conjunction that introduces a purpose or result clause (it can be translated as “so that”). In subordinate clauses in German, the conjugated verb moves to the end, which is why gehen appears at the end of “damit wir zusammen zum Geschenk shoppen gehen.”

How should we understand the phrase “zum Geschenk shoppen gehen”? Why are there two verbs?

The phrase “zum Geschenk shoppen gehen” translates to “to go shopping for the gift.” It combines the borrowed English verb shoppen with gehen to form a compound expression that mirrors the English “go shopping.” Here, gehen is the main verb (indicating the act of going), while shoppen describes the purpose of that movement.

Why is the noun phrase written as “meinen Kollegen” instead of “mein Kollege”?

The verb anrufen takes a direct object in the accusative case. Since Kollege is a masculine noun, its accusative form requires the article to change from mein to meinen. Therefore, “meinen Kollegen” is the correct form when referring to “my colleague” as the object of the verb.

What role does auch play in this sentence, and why is it positioned where it is?

Auch means “also” and serves to indicate that calling a colleague is an additional action, perhaps among several possibilities. Its placement after the conjugated verb (and before the object) emphasizes that the colleague is an extra recipient of the call, not the only one.

What does vielleicht indicate at the beginning of the sentence?

Vielleicht translates to “maybe” or “perhaps” and expresses uncertainty. It signals that the speaker is not certain about calling the colleague—it’s a possibility rather than a definite plan.

Why is there a comma before the damit clause?

In German grammar, subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like damit must be set off by a comma. This punctuation clearly separates the main clause from the subordinate (purpose) clause, helping to clarify the sentence’s structure and meaning.