German Phrase
Drück es aus, um überschüssiges Wasser zu entfernen.
Meaning
The sentence tells someone to squeeze something (e.g., a cloth, a sponge) so that the excess water is removed. It combines a direct command with a purpose clause, a common structure in everyday German instructions.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving a short, practical instruction – for example while doing laundry, washing dishes, or cleaning a garden tool that has become soaked.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Drückesaus,umüberschüssigesWasserzuentfernen.
Imperativ (du‑Form)
‘Drück’ is the du‑imperative of ‘drücken’; the ending –e is dropped in spoken German.
Trennbares Verb ‘ausdrücken’
In the imperative the prefix ‘aus’ is placed after the object: ‘Drück es aus’.
‘um … zu’ Infinitivkonstruktion
‘um’ + infinitive with ‘zu’ expresses purpose: ‘um überschüssiges Wasser zu entfernen’.
Adjektivdeklination
‘überschüssiges’ is the strong neuter singular ending –es that matches ‘Wasser’.
Verb ‘entfernen’
Used in its infinitive form after ‘zu’; it means ‘to remove’.
🗨In Conversation
Kannst du das Handtuch noch trocknen?
Can you still dry the towel?
Ja, drück es aus, um überschüssiges Wasser zu entfernen.
Sure, press it out to remove the excess water.
✕Common Mistakes
Drückes aus, um überschüssiges Wasser zu entfernen.
The object pronoun must be separate: ‘Drück es aus’, not combined.
Drück es aus, um überschüssiges Wasser entfernen.
The infinitive after ‘um’ always needs ‘zu’.
Drücken Sie es aus um überschüssiges Wasser zu entfernen.
In informal contexts the du‑imperative is preferred; also a comma is required before ‘um’.
↔Alternatives
Drück es aus, damit das überschüssige Wasser wegkommt.
Press it out so that the excess water goes away.
Quetsch es, um das restliche Wasser loszuwerden.
Squeeze it to get rid of the remaining water.
Drück das Tuch aus, um das Wasser zu entfernen.
Press the cloth out to remove the water.
Cultural Tip
German separable verbs like ‘ausdrücken’ split in the imperative, placing the prefix after the object. In informal speech the du‑imperative often drops the final –e (‘Drück’ instead of ‘Drücke’). Remember to keep the comma before the ‘um … zu’ clause – it signals a purpose clause and is mandatory in written German.