German word

drum

Pronunciation

IPA/dʁʊm/

Meaning

  • adverbso

Example

Ich bin krank, drum komme ich nicht zur Arbeit.

I am ill, so I am not coming to work.

Illustration for drum (so)

More examples

Sie hat sich gut vorbereitet, drum war sie selbstbewusster.

She prepared well, so she was more confident.

Core concept

One short bridge carries a speaker from a cause to its consequence.

Common phrases

  • drum sage ich

    so I say

  • drum denke ich

    so I think

Similar words

deshalb: Used to introduce a result that follows for that reason.
darum: Used in conversation to show briefly that a result follows from a reason.
deswegen: Used broadly to explain a result that follows from a stated reason.
daher: Used in a somewhat formal style to state a result arising from a cause.

Definition in German

drum ist eine geläufige, verkürzte Form von ‚darum‘ und dient dazu, eine Schlussfolgerung oder Erklärung einzuleiten.

Word origin

The modern short form drum comes from darum, itself descended from Middle High German dar umbe, approximately 'for that'.

Usage tips

  • When drum introduces a main clause, the finite verb follows it directly, as in 'drum komme ich', not 'drum ich komme'.

Other meanings

  • for that reasonadverb
  • thereforeadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word