Breakdown of Um einen Rabatt zu bekommen, eröffne ich online ein neues Konto.
neu
new
ich
I
um
in order to
der Rabatt
the discount
bekommen
to get
eröffnen
to open
online
online
das Konto
the account
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Questions & Answers about Um einen Rabatt zu bekommen, eröffne ich online ein neues Konto.
Why is Um einen Rabatt zu bekommen placed at the beginning of the sentence, and why do eröffne and ich swap places?
In German any element you put in first position forces the finite verb into second position, even if that element is a non-finite clause. Here Um einen Rabatt zu bekommen is one unit (a purpose clause), so eröffne comes next (position 2) and ich follows in position 3. The comma separates the non-finite um … zu clause from the main clause.
What exactly does the um … zu construction mean, and how does it work?
um … zu introduces a purpose clause (“in order to …”). Structure: um + accusative object + zu + infinitive. It answers “why?”—here, “why do I open a new account? → Um einen Rabatt zu bekommen.”
Why is einen Rabatt in the accusative case?
Two reasons:
- bekommen (to get) is a transitive verb that takes a direct object in the accusative.
- The preposition um (in the um … zu clause) also governs the accusative.
Since Rabatt is masculine, ein becomes einen.
Why does neu take the ending -es in ein neues Konto?
Konto is neuter. In the accusative, a neuter noun with an indefinite article needs the adjective ending -es (strong declension) because ein doesn’t show the case on its own. Hence ein neues Konto.
What role does online play here, and why is it lowercase?
Here online is an adverb (describing where/how you open the account). German adverbs are not capitalized. It tells you the action happens via the internet.
Why is the present tense eröffne used instead of a future tense like werde eröffnen?
German often uses the present to talk about planned future actions, especially when a time frame or purpose is clear. Eröffne ich can equally mean “I will open” in this context.
What’s the difference between using um … zu and damit to express purpose?
- um … zu
- infinitive: subjects must be the same (“in order to get a discount, I open…”).
- damit
- finite clause: you can change subjects or keep them the same, but you need to conjugate the verb at the end: Damit ich einen Rabatt bekomme, eröffne ich … Both are correct; choose damit if you need a full subordinate clause.
Why do we say ein Konto eröffnen instead of ein Konto öffnen?
In German the fixed collocation for opening a bank account is ein Konto eröffnen. While öffnen works for doors or windows, you always eröffnest a new account.
Is the comma before um always mandatory, even for very short clauses?
Yes. Whenever you introduce a non-finite clause with um, ohne, anstatt, außer etc., you must set it off with a comma from the main clause—length doesn’t matter.
Could I use a more formal verb than bekommen, for example erhalten?
Absolutely. Erhalten is more formal: Um einen Rabatt zu erhalten, eröffne ich … Both verbs take an accusative object; bekommen is just more colloquial.