der Zweck
Translation
purpose, aim, objective, point
Examples
Was ist der Zweck dieser Übung?
What is the purpose of this exercise?
Das hat doch keinen Zweck.
That's pointless.
Er verfolgt einen bestimmten Zweck.
He is pursuing a specific purpose.
Der Stuhl erfüllt seinen Zweck.
The chair serves its purpose.
Grammar Patterns
the purpose of sth. Was ist der Zweck von dieser Übung?
to serve its purpose Der alte Stuhl erfüllt noch seinen Zweck.
Similar Words
Synonyms: Ziel (goal), Absicht (intention), Sinn (meaning)
Etymology
From Old High German `zwec` (nail, peg), which evolved to mean 'target' (that one aims at), and then metaphorically to 'purpose'.
Memory Tips
It sounds a bit like 'check'. Before you do something, you 'check' its 'Zweck' (purpose).