Learn Hardcore German: Ich gehe zur Bank, um Bargeld abzuheben. - I am going to the bank to withdraw cash.

Zur is the contraction of zu der. The preposition zu always governs the dative case. Bank is a feminine noun, and its dative singular article is der, hence zur Bank.

Can I say "zum Bank"?

No. Zum = zu dem and is only used with masculine or neuter nouns (e.g., zum Arzt, zum Museum). Bank is feminine, so use zur.

Should I say "zur Bank", "in die Bank", or "auf die Bank"?

zur Bank: neutral/go to the bank as an institution or destination. Very common.
in die Bank: emphasizes entering the building.
auf die Bank: usually means onto the bench. In some regions people use it for the financial institution, but in Germany it's ambiguous, so prefer zur Bank.

How does the "um ... zu" construction work here?

It expresses purpose: um + zu + infinitive = "in order to." So ..., um Bargeld abzuheben = "... in order to withdraw cash." The infinitive clause does not have its own finite verb.

Can I omit "um"?

Not for purpose in standard German. Keep um ... zu, or rephrase with a damit clause (..., damit ich Bargeld abheben kann) or a noun phrase (..., zum Abheben von Bargeld).

Why is it "abzuheben" and not "zuabheben" or "ab zu heben"?

Because abheben has a separable prefix (ab). With zu, the zu goes between prefix and stem: ab + zu + heben → abzuheben. No spaces or hyphen.

Is the comma before "um" required?

Yes. Put a comma before infinitive clauses introduced by um, ohne, statt, außer, als.

Do I have to say "Bargeld"? Could I just say "Geld"?

Both work. Bargeld stresses physical cash. The collocation Geld abheben is very common and also means withdrawing cash. Choose Bargeld if you want to contrast with non-cash payments.

Is "abheben" the right verb, or should it be "abholen"?

Use abheben for withdrawing money from an account. Abholen = pick up/collect something that is waiting for you (package, order), not funds from your account.

Does "Bank" also mean a bench? How do I know which one this is?

Yes. There are two die Bank. Plurals differ: Banken (financial institutions) vs Bänke (benches). In this sentence, zur Bank and the context of withdrawing money clearly point to the financial institution.

How can I mention the account I'm withdrawing from?

Add von + dative: ..., um Geld von meinem Konto abzuheben. You can add the bank with bei + dative if needed: von meinem Konto bei der Sparkasse.

Why use present tense "gehe" when it's about the near future?

German uses the present for scheduled/near-future actions: Ich gehe später zur Bank. The future (Ich werde zur Bank gehen) is possible but less common in everyday speech unless you need to stress futurity.

Could I use "fahren" instead of "gehen"?

Yes. Gehen = go on foot. If you’re going by vehicle, say Ich fahre zur Bank.

Is the word order right? Why does the verb come at the end of the purpose clause?

Yes. The main clause is verb-second (Ich gehe ...). In the um ... zu clause, the infinitive (abzuheben) goes to the end. That’s standard for German infinitive clauses.