Breakdown of Der Zweck dieser Liste ist klar: Wir wollen sparen.
sein
to be
wir
we
sparen
to save
dieser
this
klar
clear
der Zweck
the purpose
die Liste
the list
wollen
to want to
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Questions & Answers about Der Zweck dieser Liste ist klar: Wir wollen sparen.
Why is dieser Liste in the genitive case rather than using a preposition?
In German, possession or “of” relationships often use the genitive. Zweck (purpose) of what? dieser Liste tells you “of this list.” Feminine singular nouns in the genitive take der → dieser. You could say Der Zweck von dieser Liste (using von + dative) but that sounds less formal and more colloquial.
Could I say Der Zweck von dieser Liste ist klar instead?
Yes, you can. von + dative is a common alternative to the genitive, especially in spoken German. You’d get Der Zweck von dieser Liste ist klar, but note the dative article dieser remains the same because Liste is feminine.
Why is there a colon after klar?
A colon in German often introduces an explanation, example or quotation. Here it signals that what follows (Wir wollen sparen.) explains or specifies what “clear purpose” means: our goal is to save.
Why is Wir capitalized after the colon?
Because a full sentence follows the colon, German orthography requires starting it with a capital letter.
Why is wollen used, and why does sparen go to the end?
wollen is a modal verb expressing intention (“to want to”). In a main clause, the conjugated verb (wollen) occupies the second position, and the infinitive (sparen) goes to the end.
Why isn’t there a comma between wollen and sparen?
Modal verb + infinitive form a single clause in German; you only use commas for independent clauses or certain infinitive constructions (like um … zu).
Why are Zweck and Liste capitalized?
All German nouns are capitalized, without exception.
What’s the nuance between Wir wollen sparen and simply Wir sparen?
Wir sparen means “we save” (describes the action happening or regularly happening). Wir wollen sparen emphasizes “we want to save” or “we intend to save”—it expresses purpose or desire.
Could you omit Wir and just say Wollen sparen?
No. German generally requires an explicit subject in declarative sentences. Dropping wir would leave you without a clear subject. Only in very informal notes or headlines might you drop pronouns.
Why isn’t klar declined here?
After sein (to be), adjectives used predicatively (i.e., describing the subject) are not declined. That’s why it’s simply klar, not klare or any other form.