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From Grundgesetzänderung notwendig: Umweltverbände unterstützen Hitzeschutz-Pläne der SPD, tagesschau.de, 17 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
Building Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) and Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) also bear responsibility 'and must act rather than stand by watching as our cities continue to be paved over and people die from extreme heat.'
Word for word: Also building-minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) and health-minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) bore responsibility 'and must act, instead to-watch, how our cities further paved-over become and people from extreme heat die'.
A news report states that these two ministers, besides others, also carry responsibility for cities becoming increasingly congested and must intervene rather than idly watch people die in extreme heat.
Declarative main clause with verb-second order; the subject is a coordinated pair of ministerial titles with names in apposition. 'Trügen' is Konjunktiv II of 'tragen', used as the unambiguous substitute for Konjunktiv I in indirect (reported) speech. Inside the quotation, the modal 'müssen' combines with the infinitive 'handeln'; 'statt' introduces a zu-infinitive ('zuzusehen'); 'wie' opens a subordinate clause with verb-final order containing a werden-passive ('zugepflastert werden') coordinated by 'und' with a second clause whose finite verb 'sterben' likewise stands finally.
Rules at work(11)
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Auch ... trügen
The finite verb trügen occupies the second position after the fronted focus adverb Auch.
In a German main clause the finite verb is always the second element. The first element can be the subject, but it can just as easily be a time expression, an object or a whole subordinate clause; whatever it is, it counts as one element and the verb follows it. This is why putting something other than the subject first pushes the subject after the verb.
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trügen
In reported speech Konjunktiv II replaces Konjunktiv I when the latter would be indistinguishable from the indicative plural (trage vs. tragen).
The form for the hypothetical, the unreal and the polite. Wäre, hätte and the modals have their own forms; most other verbs use würde plus an infinitive.
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müssen handeln
The modal müssen is finite while the lexical verb handeln stands in the infinitive.
The six modals können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen and mögen say something about the main verb rather than naming an action. The modal is the finite verb in second position and the main verb goes to the end of the clause as an infinitive.
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statt zuzusehen
After statt the zu-infinitive expresses the action not taken; the separable prefix zu- of zusehen wraps around to give zuzusehen.
Many verbs, adjectives and nouns take an infinitive introduced by zu, which stands at the end of its clause. With a separable verb the zu goes between the prefix and the stem, giving aufzustehen.
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zugepflastert werden
The werden-passive presents the cities as affected by an unnamed agent paving them over.
Werden plus a past participle. The agent, when it is mentioned at all, follows von for a person and durch for a means. In the perfect passive the participle of werden appears as worden rather than geworden.
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wie unsere Städte weiter zugepflastert werden und Menschen an extremer Hitze sterben
Both finite verbs werden and sterben close their respective clauses introduced by wie.
In a subordinate clause the finite verb stands last. Where the clause also holds a participle or an infinitive, the finite verb goes after them, so the order at the end is participle then auxiliary.
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Gesundheitsminister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) trügen
The coordinated plural subject requires the plural subjunctive form trügen.
The finite verb takes an ending that matches its subject in person and number. The endings for regular verbs in the present are e, st, t, en, t, en.
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und
Und coordinates the two subject noun phrases and, within the quote, the two embedded clauses.
Und, aber, oder, denn and sondern join two main clauses and do not count as an element, so the word order after them is unchanged and the verb stays in second position.
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an extremer Hitze
An takes the dative here to express cause in the fixed pattern an etwas sterben.
An, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen take the accusative when the phrase answers where to, and the dative when it answers where. The distinction is movement across a boundary against position, not motion against stillness.
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extremer Hitze
With no preceding article the adjective carries the strong dative feminine ending -er.
With no article in front of it the adjective has to carry the case marking itself, so it takes the endings the definite article would have had, with the exception of the masculine and neuter genitive singular.
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Menschen
Mensch is a weak noun adding -(e)n in the nominative plural and all oblique cases.
A group of masculine nouns takes an n or en in every case but the nominative singular: der Student but den Studenten, dem Studenten, des Studenten. Most denote people and many end in e, ent, ist or ant.
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Words(27)
- auch
also, too
adverbA1modal
Focus particle; here it means the ministers are included among others already named.
- Bauministerin
building minister (female), construction minister (female)
nounB2
- die Verena
Verena (female first name)
nounA1pl. Verenasgen. Verenastrong declension
- die Hubertz
Hubertz (surname)
nounC2pl. Hubertzesgen. Hubertzstrong declension
- die SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
nounB1pl. SPDsgen. SPDinvariable declension
Feminine abbreviation, used without an article when naming the party affiliation.
- und
and
conjunctionA1coordinating
- der Gesundheitsminister
health minister
nounB1pl. Gesundheitsministergen. Gesundheitsministersweak declension
- der Carsten
Carsten (male given name)
nounA1pl. Carstensgen. Carstensstrong declension
- Linnemann
Linnemann (surname)
noun
- die CDU
Christian Democratic Union
nounB1pl. CDU(s)gen. CDUinvariable declension
Feminine: die CDU.
- tragen
to carry, to bear (responsibility), to wear
verbA2
- die Verantwortung
responsibility, accountability
nounB1pl. Verantwortungengen. Verantwortungstrong declension
Fixed collocation: Verantwortung tragen = to bear responsibility.
- müssen
must, to have to
verbA1müssen, musste, hat gemusstmit habenmodal
The dependent infinitive goes to the end of the clause.
- handeln
to act, to trade, to deal (with)
verbB1
- statt
instead of, rather than
prepositionB1governs genitive
Also commonly followed by a zu-infinitive, as here: statt zu + infinitive.
- zusehen
to watch, to look on
verbB2
Separable prefix zu-; in the zu-infinitive it appears as zuzusehen.
- wie
like, as, how
conjunctionA1subordinating
Here introducing an example, equivalent to 'such as'.
- unser
our
determinerA1possessive
- die Stadt
city, town
nounA1pl. Städtegen. Stadtstrong declension
- weiter
further, farther, on, continuing
adverbA2temporal
Here adverbial 'keep on doing something'; the adjective meaning 'additional' would be weitere.
- zupflastern
to pave over, to clog up, to congest
verb
Figurative: cities being 'paved over', e.g. by cars or construction.
- werden
become, will (future auxiliary)
verbA2werden, wurde, ist gewordenmit habenirregular
Also the passive auxiliary; do not confuse with bekommen (= receive).
- der Mensch
human being, person
nounA1pl. Menschengen. Menschenweak declension
Weak n-declension: the genitive singular is Menschen and every plural form is Menschen.
- an
on, at, by
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for points in time and location (am Montag), accusative for direction.
- extrem
extreme, extremely
adjectiveB1extremer, am extremsten
- die Hitze
heat, hot weather
nounA2pl. Hitzengen. der Hitzestrong declension
For a heatwave German usually says die Hitze or eine Hitzewelle.
- sterben
to die
verbA1sterben, starb, ist gestorbenmit seinstrongan + dative
Perfect is formed with 'sein': ist gestorben.