GermanSentence

B2 Mood

Konjunktiv I

Konjunktiv I

Reported speech in journalism and formal writing. It is built from the infinitive stem, and where its form would be identical to the ordinary present, Konjunktiv II is used instead to keep the reporting visible.

Sentences that use it(30 of 42)

Real sentences from the lexicon. The marked words are what show the rule.

  • central to this sentence C1

    Der Vertrauensvorschuss für die Westparteien sei nach 1990 entsprechend gering ausgefallen.

    The advance of trust for the western parties was correspondingly low.

    'sei' is Konjunktiv I of 'sein', marking reported speech: the writer reports someone else's assessment without endorsing it.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Hinzu komme die Strukturschwäche des Landes, sagt Höhne, abgebaute Arbeitsplätze, gescheiterte Ansiedlungen wie Solar Valley, dem Industriestandort in Bitterfeld-Wolfen.

    'Add to that the structural weakness of the region, says Höhne, jobs that have been cut, failed settlement projects like Solar Valley, the industrial site in Bitterfeld-Wolfen.'

    Subjunctive I signals indirect speech in this reported statement.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Ein typisch ostdeutsches Problem sei es nicht, sagt Höhne, sondern eines aller westlichen Demokratien, im Westen nur schwächer ausgeprägt.

    It is not a typically East German problem, says Höhne, but one of all Western democracies, only less pronounced in the West.

    'Sei' instead of 'ist' marks the clause as reported/indirect speech attributed to Höhne.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    "Wir wollen den Aufbruch, das ist auf dieser Klausur nochmal deutlich geworden", sagte der Vizekanzler im Interview mit den tagesthemen. Es gehe jetzt darum, das Land wirtschaftlich wieder stärker zu machen.

    "We want a fresh start – that became clear once again at this retreat," said the vice-chancellor in an interview with the tagesthemen news programme. He said the task now was to make the country economically stronger again.

    Konjunktiv I signals indirect speech: the journalist reports the politician's claim without endorsing it.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    In den tagesthemen appellierte der SPD-Chef auch an die Geschlossenheit der Koalition: Es gehe jetzt darum, das Land wieder stärker zu machen.

    In the Tagesthemen news programme, the SPD leader also appealed for unity within the coalition: the country, he said, now needed to be made strong again.

    Konjunktiv I marks indirect speech after the colon, standard in news reporting.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Die Verfassung kenne keine Volksgemeinschaft gleichen Blutes und keine staatsbürgerschaftlichen Privilegien für die sogenannten "Biodeutschen".

    The constitution knows no national community of the same blood and no citizenship privileges for the so-called 'Biodeutsche'.

    The present subjunctive one of kennen signals reported or distanced speech, common in journalistic writing.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Deutschland müsse ein Land sein, "das jedem eine Absage erteilt, der Phantasien von völkischer Abschottung entwickelt", sagte Steinmeier in Berlin.

    Germany must be a country 'that refuses anyone who develops fantasies of ethnic exclusion', said Steinmeier in Berlin.

    Indirect quotation of a speech uses Konjunktiv I instead of indicative to mark reported content.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Deutschland gehöre "allen, die rechtmäßig hier leben", sagte er in Berlin. Der Bundespräsident warnte vor einem Rückfall in völkisches Denken.

    'Germany belongs to all who live here lawfully,' he said in Berlin. The Federal President warned against a relapse into völkisch (ethno-nationalist) thinking.

    Indirect speech after 'sagte' uses subjunctive I to mark the statement as reported rather than asserted by the speaker.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Er sagt auch, Zuwanderung koste Kraft.

    He also says that immigration takes effort.

    The reported claim uses subjunctive one to mark indirect speech; for 'kosten' the third-singular form equals the stem.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Im ersten Halbjahr 2025 seien es zum Vergleich knapp 7.300 Menschen gewesen, die freiwillig über das humanitäre Rückkehrförderprogramm ausgereist waren.

    By comparison, in the first half of 2025 there were just under 7,300 people who had left the country voluntarily under the humanitarian return-assistance programme.

    Present-tense Konjunktiv I of sein signals indirect, reported speech, the standard device in German news texts when the writer does not vouch for the figure.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Der Herbst werde arbeitsreich, sagt die neue Kanzleramtschefin Warken in den tagesthemen.

    The autumn will be busy with work, says the new head of the Chancellery Warken on the tagesthemen news programme.

    'Werde' is Konjunktiv I of werden, the standard marker of indirect speech in written German journalism.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Im ersten Halbjahr des laufenden Jahres seien 9.276 Menschen im Rahmen von Rückkehrprogrammen des Bundes in ihre Heimat zurückgekehrt, berichteten die Zeitungen der Funke Mediengruppe unter Berufung auf das Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF).

    In the first half of the current year, 9,276 people returned to their home countries under federal return programmes, the newspapers of the Funke Media Group reported, citing the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).

    'Seien' is Konjunktiv I because the content is reported speech attributed to the newspapers, standard in German news writing.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Die meisten seien bei Freunden oder Verwandten untergekommen.

    Most of them are said to have found shelter with friends or relatives.

    The subjunctive one form 'seien' marks the content as reported speech from another source, standard in news style.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence B2

    Der Einsatz sei zunächst für sieben Tage vorgesehen. Etwa 30 Bewohner von Monschau-Kalterherberg waren am Sonntagabend wegen einer möglichen starken Rauchbelastung evakuiert worden.

    The operation was initially planned to last seven days. Around 30 residents of Monschau-Kalterherberg had been evacuated on Sunday evening because of possible heavy smoke exposure.

    The Konjunktiv I form sei signals indirect reported speech, standard in news reporting.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Das seien so viele wie seit 13 Jahren nicht mehr.

    That is said to be as many as there haven't been in 13 years.

    'seien' is Konjunktiv I of 'sein', the standard marker of reported speech in journalism.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Zum Stichtag 31. Juli habe es etwa 186.700 Männer und Frauen in der Truppe gegeben, teilte das Verteidigungsministerium mit.

    As of the cut-off date of 31 July there were about 186,700 men and women in the force, the Ministry of Defence announced.

    The ministry's statement is reported indirectly without a conjunction, so the perfect stands in Konjunktiv I, the standard written signal that the writer is passing on someone else's claim.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Diese Mittel könnten nicht nur im Rahmen der Bundeszuständigkeiten, sondern etwa im Hinblick auf den Länderanteil von 100 Milliarden Euro auch schon heute flexibel genutzt werden. Amthor betonte, in der Gesamtdiskussion sollte nicht vergessen werden, dass der Bund schon heute beträchtliche Finanzmittel über bestehende Förderprogramme in die Fläche vergebe.

    These funds could be used not only within the scope of federal responsibilities, but also, for example with regard to the states' share of 100 billion euros, flexibly even today. Amthor emphasised that in the overall discussion it should not be forgotten that the federal government is already channelling considerable funds into the field through existing funding programmes.

    After the reporting verb 'betonte', the present tense of 'vergeben' appears as Konjunktiv I to mark indirect speech.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Für eine wirksame Anpassung an die Klimakrise brauche es "eine gesamtstaatliche Kraftanstrengung, die Prioritäten setzt, Ressourcen bündelt, Abstimmungen intensiviert und schnelles Handeln ermöglicht", heißt es in einem Papier SPD-geführter Bundesministerien.

    For an effective adaptation to the climate crisis, what is needed, it says in a paper by SPD-led federal ministries, is 'a nationwide effort that sets priorities, pools resources, intensifies coordination and enables rapid action'.

    'Brauche' is konjunktiv I, third person singular, marking the content as reported speech from the paper.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Und auch Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz sei "tief in diesem Thema drin".

    And Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, too, is reportedly "deeply immersed in this topic".

    The journalist reports what someone else claimed; Konjunktiv I of "sein" marks the content as indirect speech without naming the speaker in this sentence.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Die Bedeutung des Themas sei allen bewusst.

    Everyone should be aware of the significance of the topic.

    The subjunctive one form of 'sein' marks an indirect demand or exhortation typical of formal resolutions.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Davon sollen unter anderem Kommunen, Pflegeheime, Kitas und Krankenhäuser profitieren. Der stellvertretende Regierungssprecher Sebastian Hille betont, über diesen Vorstoß werde nun innerhalb der Bundesregierung beraten.

    Among others, municipalities, care homes, day-care centres and hospitals are to benefit from this. Deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille stressed that this initiative would now be discussed within the federal government.

    'werde' signals indirect speech reporting what the spokesman said.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Das sei sehr kräftezehrend, das Personal müsse regelmäßig ausgetauscht werden.

    This is said to be very draining; the staff would have to be replaced regularly.

    Both finite verbs appear in Konjunktiv I because the sentence reports a claim made by someone else, standard in news reporting.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence B2

    Krüger sagte, aktuell unterstützten 60 Feuerwehrleute aus Monschau ihre Kollegen in Belgien, sie löschten dort mit Schläuchen.

    Krüger said that 60 firefighters from Monschau are currently supporting their colleagues in Belgium, extinguishing fires there with hoses.

    Both verbs of the reported content stand in subjunctive I to mark them as indirect speech introduced by 'sagte'.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Das sei eine "ganz neue Lage", auf die man sich nun vorbereite.

    This is said to be a 'completely new situation', which one is now preparing for.

    Both finite verbs appear in Konjunktiv I, the standard mood for reporting someone else's statements neutrally.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Allerdings seien für Dienstag starker Wind und Böen aus südwestlicher Richtung vorhergesagt.

    However, strong wind and gusts from a south-westerly direction are forecast for Tuesday.

    The subjunctive one form 'seien' marks the content as reported speech, standard in news and weather reports.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Die Lage im belgischen Naturschutzgebiet Hohes Venn sei statisch und habe sich nicht verschlechtert, sagte der Einsatzleiter der Feuerwehr im deutschen Monschau, Philipp Krüger.

    The situation in the Belgian nature reserve Hohes Venn is static and has not deteriorated, said Philipp Krüger, the incident commander of the fire brigade in Monschau, Germany.

    The reported content uses Konjunktiv I forms sei and habe to mark indirect speech attributed to the speaker.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Die Brandmauer zur AfD sei gescheitert, sagen Parteigründerin Sahra Wagenknecht und die beiden Parteichefs Amira Mohamed Ali und Fabio De Masi. Auch wenn die AfD in Sachsen-Anhalt als gesichert rechtsextremistisch eingestuft ist und das BSW sich auf der anderen Seite des politischen Spektrums von der Linken abtrennte, sagt Politikwissenschaftler Höhne: "Es gibt tatsächlich viele Schnittmengen zwischen beiden Parteien.

    The firewall against the AfD has failed, say party founder Sahra Wagenknecht and the two party leaders Amira Mohamed Ali and Fabio De Masi. Even though the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt is classified as securely right-wing extremist and the BSW split off from the Left on the other side of the political spectrum, says political scientist Höhne: "There really are many overlaps between the two parties."

    Indirect speech reporting the party leaders' claim uses subjunctive one of sein.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    Das gehe aber erst dann, wenn belastbare Daten vorliegen, sagte Rainer im gemeinsamen Morgenmagazin von ARD und ZDF.

    'That will only happen once reliable data is available,' Rainer said on the joint morning programme of ARD and ZDF.

    Reported speech in journalism uses Konjunktiv I to mark the statement as the speaker's words.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence C1

    "Aktuell ist das beherrschbar." Falls der Wind auffrische und in eine ungünstige Richtung drehe, könnte dies das Feuer aber erneut stärker anfachen.

    'It is currently manageable.' But if the wind were to pick up and turn in an unfavourable direction, this could once again fan the fire more strongly.

    The -e endings of 'auffrische' and 'drehe' are Konjunktiv I, marking assumed or reported events typical of news style.

    tagesschau.de
  • central to this sentence B2

    Die Flammen seien weiter gut zwei Kilometer entfernt.

    The flames are said to be a good two kilometres away.

    The subjunctive one of 'sein' marks the content as reported speech, distancing the speaker from the claim.

    tagesschau.de

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