Asking the model to read this sentence.
A sentence nobody has read before takes a minute or two, because it means asking a language model. Nothing is lost if you leave this page: the address keeps the result.
Opening sentence of Forderung nach Grundgesetzänderung: SPD-Ministerinnen legen bei Klimaplänen nach, tagesschau.de, 19 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
Heat protection in the constitution - the SPD's demand and its action plan have so far met with scepticism from the Union.
Word for word: Heat protection into the basic law - the demand of the SPD and their action plan are at the Union until now on scepticism pushed.
A news-style headline sentence reporting that the SPD's call for constitutional heat-protection rules has so far been received sceptically by the conservative Union parties.
A plural compound subject ('die Forderung ... und ihr Aktionsplan') takes the plural finite verb 'sind'. The perfect 'sind ... gestoßen' uses sein because the verb is a motion/change-of-state verb of the stoßen-auf type; the separable prefix 'auf' sits in its normal preverbal position in the perfect. 'bei' governs the dative ('der Union'), and 'stoßen auf' governs the accusative ('auf Skepsis').
Rules at work(8)
-
sind ... gestoßen
'Aufstoßen' forms its perfect with 'sein', so the auxiliary appears as plural 'sind'.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
auf ... gestoßen
The prefix 'auf' is separated from the stem and the ge- sits inside the participle: ge-stoßen after the prefix.
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? -
die Forderung der SPD und ihr Aktionsplan sind
Two subjects joined by 'und' make a plural subject, hence 'sind' rather than 'ist'.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
bei der Union
'Bei' always takes the dative, giving 'der Union'.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
auf Skepsis gestoßen
'Stoßen auf' fixes the preposition 'auf' with an accusative complement expressing what reaction was met.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
der SPD
The genitive article marks 'der SPD' as the possessor of 'Forderung'.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
Hitzeschutz, Grundgesetz, Aktionsplan
All three key nouns are compounds written as single words.
German builds long nouns by joining shorter ones. The last part carries the gender and the plural, and everything before it modifies what follows, so a compound is read from the right.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
... Aktionsplan sind bei der Union bislang auf Skepsis gestoßen
After the fronted headline phrase the finite verb 'sind' stands in second position.
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?
Words(17)
- der Hitzeschutz
heat protection
nounB2pl. Hitzeschutzegen. Hitzeschutzesstrong declension
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- das Grundgesetz
Basic Law, German constitution
nounB2pl. Grundgesetzegen. Grundgesetzesstrong declension
- die
the
determinerA1definite
- die Forderung
demand, call, claim
nounB2pl. Forderungengen. Forderungmixed declension
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- 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
- ihr
their, her
determinerA2possessive
Refers to feminine or plural possessors; here 'its' (the commission's).
- der Aktionsplan
action plan
nounB2pl. Aktionsplänegen. Aktionsplansstrong declension
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.
- bei
at, near, with
prepositionA2governs dative
'bei 42 Prozent' = 'at 42 percent', standard in poll reporting.
- die Union
the Union (CDU/CSU), union
nounB2pl. Unionengen. der Unionweak declension
In German politics, 'die Union' means the CDU and CSU together.
- bislang
so far, until now
adverbB2temporal
- auf
on, onto
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Location takes the dative, movement towards the accusative.
- die Skepsis
skepticism
nounC1pl. Skepsengen. Skepsisstrong declension
- aufstoßen
to meet with (a reaction), to come up against, to pop open
verbC1aufstoßen, stieß auf, ist aufgestoßenmit seinseparablestrongstoßen auf + accusative
In the pattern 'stoßen auf + accusative' it means an initiative meets a reaction; the reflexive 'sich stoßen an' means to be put off by something.