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From Rede über Zuwanderung: Steinmeier fordert Absage an völkische Ideologie, tagesschau.de, 25 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
"The German people" in the sense of the constitution "also includes Germans who have come to join it", said the Federal President at the opening of a panel discussion.
Word for word: The "German people" in the sense of the constitution, "that are also Germans who have come along", said the Federal President at-the opening of a panel discussion.
The Federal President explains that the constitutional term 'the German people' also covers ethnic German repatriates or immigrants who have joined German society; this is reported speech from a panel discussion.
The sentence quotes the Federal President; the reporting clause 'sagte der Bundespräsident...' follows the quote, so the finite verb stands second overall (verb-second with inverted subject and verb). Inside the quotation, 'das sind auch Deutsche' is a main clause with 'das' as subject, followed by a relative clause 'die hinzugekommen sind' modifying 'Deutsche'; the perfect 'hinzugekommen sind' uses sein as auxiliary because 'hinzukommen' is a verb of motion.
Rules at work(8)
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sagte der Bundespräsident
The quoted material occupies first position, so the finite verb 'sagte' comes second and the subject follows it.
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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die hinzugekommen sind
The relative pronoun 'die' refers to the plural antecedent 'Deutsche' and opens a relative clause.
A relative pronoun takes its gender and number from the noun it refers back to, and its case from the job it does inside the relative clause. The clause is verb-final and always separated by a comma.
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hinzugekommen sind
'Hinzukommen' is a verb of motion/change of state, so its perfect is formed with 'sein'.
Verbs of motion from one place to another and verbs of change of state take sein rather than haben in the perfect, along with sein, werden and bleiben themselves. Er ist gegangen, not er hat gegangen.
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die hinzugekommen sind
In the relative clause the finite auxiliary 'sind' moves to the end.
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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hinzugekommen
The prefix 'hinzu-' of 'hinzukommen' is incorporated into the participle as hinzu- + ge- + kommen.
Some verbs carry a prefix that detaches in a main clause and moves to the very end: aufstehen becomes Ich stehe um sieben auf. The prefix is stressed, which is what tells a separable prefix from an inseparable one. In a subordinate clause and in the infinitive the verb stays whole.
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Deutsche
The adjective 'deutsch' is nominalized to mean 'Germans' and keeps adjective endings.
An adjective can be capitalised and used as a noun, and it goes on taking adjective endings: der Alte, ein Alter, etwas Neues.
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der Verfassung
'Der Verfassung' is a feminine genitive attribute expressing 'of the constitution'.
The genitive shows possession and follows a small set of prepositions. Masculine and neuter nouns add s or es. In speech it is often replaced by von plus the dative, but it is alive in writing and in fixed expressions.
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sagte
Written narrative reporting uses the simple preterite 'sagte' rather than the perfect.
The simple past is the written narrative past. In speech it survives mainly in sein, haben and the modals, where hatte and war are far commoner than the perfect forms.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(20)
- das
the
determinerA1definite
- deutsch
German
adjectiveA1deutscher, am deutschesten
- das Volk
people, nation
nounB2pl. Völkergen. Volkesstrong declension
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- der Sinn
sense, meaning
nounB1pl. Sinnegen. Sinnesstrong declension
'im Sinne von' is a fixed phrase meaning 'in the sense of'.
- die
the
determinerA1definite
- die Verfassung
constitution
nounB2pl. Verfassungengen. Verfassungstrong declension
In legal contexts it means the constitution, not a person's state.
- das
that, what
pronounA1demonstrative
Before a comma, das is usually a pronoun introducing a relative clause, not the article.
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.
- auch
also, too
adverbA1modal
Focus particle; here it means the ministers are included among others already named.
- deutsch
a German person, Germans
nounA2
Nominalized adjective: 'ein Deutscher' (m.), 'eine Deutsche' (f.), plural 'Deutsche'.
- die
who, which, that
pronounA2relative
Demonstrative 'die' pointing back to a previously mentioned noun; stronger than plain 'sie'.
- hinzukommen
to be added on top, to come to that
verbC1hinzukommen, kam hinzu, ist hinzugekommenmit seinseparablestrong
Fixed expression 'da/hinzu kommt(es), dass...' meaning 'on top of that'.
- sagen
to say, to tell
verbA1sagen, sagte, hat gesagtmit habenweak
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- der Bundespräsident
Federal President (of Germany)
nounB2pl. Bundespräsidentengen. Bundespräsidentenweak declension
- zu
to, at, too
prepositionA1governs dative
With verbs of movement it takes dative even though motion is involved.
- die Eröffnung
opening
nounB1pl. Eröffnungengen. Eröffnungstrong declension
- ein
a, an, one
determinerA1indefinite
The form einer here is dative feminine singular, not the pronoun meaning 'one'.
- die Podiumsdiskussion
panel discussion
nounB2pl. Podiumsdiskussionengen. Podiumsdiskussionstrong declension