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Third sentence of Bis mindestens März 2027: Grenzkontrollen sollen erneut verlängert werden, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
The Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) officially reported this to the EU Commission, as a ministry spokesperson confirmed.
Word for word: This reported Federal-Interior-Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) officially at the EU-Commission on, as a ministry-spokesperson confirmed.
Typical news-report style: the speaker announces that Dobrindt formally notified the EU Commission of something, citing a ministry spokesperson as confirmation.
A main clause with the separable verb 'anmelden' in the preterite; 'Das' is fronted as the object, so the finite verb stays in second position and the separated prefix 'an' goes to the end of the clause. A comparative 'wie'-clause follows, which here behaves like a main clause ('wie ... bestätigte') reporting the source of the information.
Rules at work(5)
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Das meldete Bundesinnenminister Alexander Dobrindt
'Das' is fronted into first position, so the finite verb 'meldete' must remain second.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
meldete ... an
'Anmelden' is separable; in the main clause the prefix 'an' moves to the end while the stem carries the tense.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
meldete ... bestätigte
Written German, especially news prose, prefers the simple preterite over 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.
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bei der EU-Kommission
'Bei' always governs the dative, hence feminine 'der'.
Aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von and zu always take the dative. Several of them contract with the article: von dem becomes vom, zu der becomes zur.
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Bundesinnenminister Alexander Dobrindt ... eine Ministeriumssprecherin
Both subjects appear in the nominative without articles or with nominative article forms.
The nominative marks the subject of the clause: whoever or whatever is doing the verb. It is also the case used after the verbs sein, werden and bleiben, so both sides of Das ist mein Bruder stand in the nominative.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(13)
- das
that, what
pronounA1demonstrative
Before a comma, das is usually a pronoun introducing a relative clause, not the article.
- anmelden
to report, to register, to notify
verbB1meldet an, meldete an, hat angemeldetmit habenseparableweak
Separable verb: 'Ich melde ... an'. With the meaning 'officially notify an authority' it takes two objects.
- der Bundesinnenminister
Federal Minister of the Interior
nounC1pl. Bundesinnenministergen. Bundesinnenministersweak declension
Official title; compounds with Bundes- name federal ministers.
- der Alexander
Alexander (given name)
nounA2pl. Alexandersgen. Alexandersstrong declension
- der Dobrindt
Dobrindt (German surname)
nounC2pl. Dobrindtsgen. Dobrindtsstrong declension
- offiziell
official, officially
adjectiveB1offizieller, am offizialsten
- bei
at, near, with
prepositionA2governs dative
'bei 42 Prozent' = 'at 42 percent', standard in poll reporting.
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- die EU-Kommission
European Commission
nounB2pl. EU-Kommissionengen. der EU-Kommissionmixed declension
- wie
like, as, how
conjunctionA1subordinating
Here introducing an example, equivalent to 'such as'.
- eine
a, an
determinerA1indefinite
- die Ministeriumssprecherin
ministry spokesperson (female)
nounC1pl. Ministeriumssprecherinnengen. Ministeriumssprecherinweak declension
- bestätigen
to confirm
verbB1bestätigen, bestätigte, hat bestätigtmit habenweakgoverns accusative