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From Deutsch-belgische Grenzregion: Waldbrand-Lage stabil - doch es droht Wind, tagesschau.de, 17 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
This is said to be a 'completely new situation', which one is now preparing for.
Word for word: That be a 'quite new situation', to which one oneself now prepares.
A speaker or source claims that there is a completely new situation which people are now getting ready for; the Konjunktiv I signals that the writer is reporting this claim without endorsing it.
The verbs 'sei' and 'vorbereite' are first-person forms of Konjunktiv I used in the third person, marking reported (indirect) speech typical of journalistic writing. The relative clause 'auf die man sich nun vorbereite' has verb-final word order with the separable prefix reattached, and 'die' is a relative pronoun in the accusative governed by 'sich vorbereiten auf'.
Rules at work(6)
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sei ... vorbereite
Both finite verbs appear in Konjunktiv I, the standard mood for reporting someone else's statements neutrally.
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.
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auf die man sich nun vorbereite
The relative clause introduced by the fronted preposition-pronoun pair places the finite verb at 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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auf die
'Die' is a relative pronoun agreeing with the feminine 'Lage' and pulled forward with its preposition 'auf'.
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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auf die man sich ... vorbereite
'Sich vorbereiten auf' fixes the preposition 'auf' with the accusative, so the relative pronoun is accusative feminine.
Many verbs are tied to one preposition and one case, and the pairing rarely matches the English one. Warten auf takes the accusative, denken an takes the accusative, teilnehmen an takes the dative.
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sich ... vorbereite
'Sich vorbereiten' requires the accusative reflexive pronoun 'sich'.
A reflexive verb takes a pronoun pointing back at the subject. The pronoun is usually accusative, but it turns dative as soon as the verb has another direct object, which is why it is ich wasche mich but ich wasche mir die Hände.
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vorbereite
In the subordinate clause the separable prefix 'vor-' is not split off but written together with the finite form.
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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Words(12)
- 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.
- ein
a, an, one
determinerA1indefinite
The form einer here is dative feminine singular, not the pronoun meaning 'one'.
- ganz
quite, completely, entirely
adverbA2degree
Before a preposition phrase 'ganz ohne' means 'without any … whatsoever'; with nouns ganz can also mean 'whole' (das ganze Land).
- neu
new
adjectiveA1
- die Lage
situation, position, location
nounB1pl. die Lagengen. der Lagestrong declension
In news language die Lage usually means 'the situation', not 'location'.
- auf
on, onto
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Location takes the dative, movement towards the accusative.
- die
who, which, that
pronounA2relative
Demonstrative 'die' pointing back to a previously mentioned noun; stronger than plain 'sie'.
- man
one, people, you
pronounA1indefinite
Impersonal subject; never translated as 'the man'.
- sich
himself/herself/themselves, itself
pronounA2reflexive
Always refers back to the subject; here it is fixed to the verb 'sich mehren'.
- nun
now, at this point
adverbA2temporal
Often signals a new stage in narration rather than plain 'now'.
- vorbereiten
to prepare
verbB1vorbereiten, bereitete vor, hat vorbereitetmit habenseparableweaksich vorbereiten auf + accusative