Breakdown of Ein Umweltziel hilft, Energie zu sparen.
helfen
to help
sparen
to save
die Energie
the energy
das Umweltziel
the environmental goal
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Questions & Answers about Ein Umweltziel hilft, Energie zu sparen.
Why is zu used before sparen in Energie zu sparen?
In German, a verb that takes an infinitive complement (like helfen) links it with zu (similar to English “to”). Here zu sparen is a subordinate infinitive clause describing the action being helped. Without zu, you’d have a bare infinitive, which German only allows with modals and perception verbs.
Why is there a comma before Energie zu sparen?
Because Energie zu sparen is an infinitive clause with its own object, German punctuation rules require a comma to separate it from the main clause. The comma signals that you’re introducing a subordinate verb construction. In cases where the infinitive clause contains its own element (here Energie), the comma is mandatory.
Why is there no article before Energie?
Energie is an uncountable noun used in a general sense (“energy” as a concept). German omits the article when speaking about uncountable substances or abstract ideas in general. If you meant a specific supply of energy, you would say die Energie.
Which case is Energie in, and how can we tell?
In the infinitive clause zu sparen, Energie is the direct object of sparen, so it’s in the accusative case. With uncountable nouns the singular form looks the same in nominative and accusative, but its role as the thing being saved makes it accusative.
Why does the sentence use ein Umweltziel instead of das Umweltziel?
Ein is the indefinite article, used when referring to any environmental goal in general. Using das Umweltziel would point to a specific, already known goal. Here the idea is generic, so ein Umweltziel (“an environmental goal”) is appropriate.
Why is Umweltziel written as one word, and how do we know it’s neuter?
German forms compound nouns by joining words together. In Umweltziel, Umwelt (“environment”) plus Ziel (“goal”) become one noun. The gender of a compound is determined by its final element (the head), which is Ziel (neuter). Therefore Umweltziel is also neuter.
Why doesn’t helfen take a dative object here?
When helfen means “to help do something,” it follows the pattern helfen + zu + infinitive and does not take a dative object. The thing doing the helping (here ein Umweltziel) is the subject, and the action itself is expressed in the infinitive clause zu sparen.
Could I rephrase this sentence using beim or another structure?
Yes. Two common alternatives are:
• Ein Umweltziel hilft beim Sparen von Energie.
• Ein Umweltziel hilft dabei, Energie zu sparen.
Both convey the same idea. The first uses a nominalized infinitive with beim, the second adds the particle dabei before the infinitive clause.