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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 very draining; the staff would have to be replaced regularly.
Word for word: That be very strength-draining, the personnel must regularly exchanged become.
The speaker is passing on a report or claim from another source without endorsing it — typical of journalistic style. The claim is that this activity is exhausting and that staff therefore need regular replacement.
Two clauses in the subjunctive I (Konjunktiv I) report what someone else has claimed: 'sei' is the third-person singular subjunctive of 'sein', and 'müsse' that of 'müssen'. The second clause contains a passive construction: 'ausgetauscht werden' with the modal in the passive infinitive pattern (modal + past participle + werden).
Rules at work(5)
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sei ... müsse
Both finite verbs appear in Konjunktiv I because the sentence reports a claim made by someone else, standard in news reporting.
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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ausgetauscht werden
The subject 'das Personal' undergoes the action rather than performing it, so the passive with werden is used.
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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müsse ... ausgetauscht werden
The modal 'müssen' takes a dependent infinitive at the end of the clause; with a passive infinitive the pattern is modal + participle + werden.
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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Das sei
'Das' and 'das Personal' are subjects of their clauses and therefore stand in the nominative.
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.
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ausgetauscht
The prefix 'aus-' of 'austauschen' stays attached in the past participle, giving ausgetauscht rather than ge-austauscht.
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(10)
- 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.
- sehr
very
adverbA1degree
- kräftezehrend
draining, exhausting
adjectiveC2kräftezehrender, am kräftezehrendsten
- der/die/das
the
determinerA1definite
- das Personal
staff, personnel
nounB1pl. Personalgen. Personalsstrong declension
Mass noun, usually no plural and no article.
- müssen
must, to have to
verbA1müssen, musste, hat gemusstmit habenmodal
The dependent infinitive goes to the end of the clause.
- regelmäßig
regular(ly)
adjectiveB1regelmäßiger, am regelmäßigsten
- austauschen
to exchange, to replace
verbB1austauschen, tauschte aus, hat ausgetauschtmit habenseparableweakgoverns accusative
- werden
become, will (future auxiliary)
verbA2werden, wurde, ist gewordenmit habenirregular
Also the passive auxiliary; do not confuse with bekommen (= receive).