Damit

Damit is a German conjunction meaning “so that” or “in order that.” It introduces subordinate clauses that express purpose or intention, often describing the aim of the action in the main clause. The clause introduced by damit can have the same subject as the main clause or a different one, which is one of its distinguishing features compared with other purpose expressions.

Grammar and usage: A damit clause is a dependent clause, and the finite verb in that clause appears at the end. A comma separates the main clause from the damit clause. If the subordinate clause has a different subject, that subject is stated inside the damit clause; if the subjects are the same, the subject pronoun can be omitted or repeated for clarity, depending on style. For example: Ich bleibe zu Hause, damit ich niemanden anstecke. Ich gebe ihr Geld, damit sie das Auto reparieren kann.

Relation to other purpose expressions: Damit is often compared with um ... zu. Both express purpose, but um ... zu usually describes the goal of the same subject, while damit allows a different subject and can emphasize the intended outcome for someone else. A more formal alternative is auf dass, though it is less common in everyday speech. A clause with damit expresses intent or aim and can also convey a consequence if framed as a goal to achieve a result (often with a deliberate or controlled outcome).

Etymology: Damit originates in the history of German as a compound form, commonly analyzed as a fused marker from elements that conveyed “that” and “with,” developed in Middle High German into a general purpose conjunction.

See also: um ... zu, auf dass, sodass, conjunctions expressing purpose or result.