Wir wählen eine Abkürzung, damit die Strecke noch kürzer wird.

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Breakdown of Wir wählen eine Abkürzung, damit die Strecke noch kürzer wird.

• werden: to become
• damit: so that
• kurz: short
• wählen: to choose
• die Abkürzung: the shortcut
• die Strecke: the route
• noch: even

Questions & Answers about Wir wählen eine Abkürzung, damit die Strecke noch kürzer wird.

Why is there a comma before damit?

Because damit introduces a subordinate clause. In German, subordinate clauses (Nebensätze) are always separated from the main clause by a comma.

What exactly does damit mean here, and how is it different from sodass/so dass?

Here damit means “so that” in the sense of purpose or intention. sodass/so dass expresses a result or consequence. Compare:

• Purpose: Wir nehmen eine Abkürzung, damit wir schneller ankommen. (We intend to arrive faster.)
• Result: Wir nahmen eine Abkürzung, sodass die Strecke kürzer war. (The shorter route is a consequence.) Both spellings sodass and so dass are accepted; sodass is more common today.

Can I use um … zu instead of damit here?

Yes, if the subject of both clauses is the same. For example: Wir wählen eine Abkürzung, um die Strecke zu verkürzen. or …, um schneller anzukommen. You generally use damit when the subordinate clause has a different subject or when you want to highlight purpose with an explicit subject.

Why is the verb wird at the end of the damit clause?

In subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like damit, the conjugated verb goes to the end of the clause. Hence: …, damit die Strecke noch kürzer wird.

Should it be wird or ist: what’s the difference between “becomes shorter” and “is shorter”?

Both are possible, with a nuance. … kürzer wird emphasizes the change (it gets shorter), while … kürzer ist states the resulting state (it is shorter). With damit (purpose), both can work; choose wird if you want the idea of “becoming.”

What does noch mean here—“still” or “even”?

Here noch means “even” (further): noch kürzer = “even shorter.” The “still” meaning appears in phrases like immer noch (“still”).

Where should noch go in the clause?

Place noch directly before the comparative adjective: noch kürzer. Alternatives like kürzer noch sound archaic or poetic; avoid them in standard prose.

Why is it eine Abkürzung and not einen Abkürzung?

Abkürzung is feminine (die Abkürzung). In the accusative singular, the feminine article is eine (unchanged from nominative). So: Wir wählen eine Abkürzung. Masculine would be einen.

Is eine Abkürzung wählen idiomatic, or should I say eine Abkürzung nehmen?

Both are grammatical, but eine Abkürzung nehmen (“take a shortcut”) is the most idiomatic everyday phrasing. wählen (“choose/select”) is fine, a bit more formal or neutral; auswählen emphasizes selecting from options.

What’s the difference between Strecke, Weg, and Route?

• Strecke: a stretch/distance/segment (often measurable).
• Weg: the way/path (more general, also “method” metaphorically).
• Route: a planned/marked route or itinerary.
  Here, Strecke fits because you’re talking about the length of the distance.

Does Abkürzung also mean “abbreviation” (like “etc.”)?

Yes. die Abkürzung can mean “shortcut” or “abbreviation.” Context clarifies: in travel contexts it’s a shortcut; in writing/labels it’s an abbreviation.

Why is it wird and not werden?

Agreement: the subject of the subordinate clause is die Strecke (third person singular), so the verb is wird. Quick reference: ich werde, du wirst, er/sie/es wird, wir werden, ihr werdet, sie/Sie werden.

Could I say kürzere instead of kürzer?

Not in this structure. kürzer is a predicative adjective after a copula: die Strecke … wird kürzer. kürzere is attributive and would modify a noun: eine kürzere Strecke.

Is the umlaut in kürzer required?

Yes. kurz forms its comparative with an umlaut: kürzer. If you can’t type ü, you can write kuerzer informally; don’t write kurzer (that’s wrong for the comparative).

Could damit here mean “with that” (the pronominal adverb)?

No. In this sentence damit is a conjunction meaning “so that” and starts a subordinate clause. The pronominal adverb damit (“with that/with it”) would function within a clause, e.g., Wir fahren damit.

Why does Strecke have the article die—can I omit the article?

Singular countable nouns in German typically need an article. You can’t normally drop it here; …, damit Strecke noch kürzer wird sounds ungrammatical. die Strecke is required (it refers to the route you’re talking about).

Is the present tense wir wählen okay for a near-future intention?

Yes. German often uses the present for scheduled or intended near-future actions. You could also say Wir werden eine Abkürzung wählen, but the simple present is natural here.