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From Jahresbericht Medizinischer Dienst: Mehr Todesfälle durch Behandlungsfehler, tagesschau.de, 20 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
In 2,700 cases the errors were also said to be the cause of the damage suffered.
Word for word: In 2,700 cases were the errors also cause of the suffered damage been.
Journalistic reported speech: according to some source (e.g. an authority or study), in 2,700 cases the mistakes were also the cause of the harm that was suffered.
A main clause in the perfect tense with the finite auxiliary 'seien' in second position (subjunctive one of 'sein'), marking reported speech as used in news reporting; the past participle 'gewesen' closes the verb bracket. The prepositional phrase 'In 2.700 Fällen' is fronted, so the subject 'die Fehler' follows the verb.
Rules at work(5)
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seien ... gewesen
The subjunctive one of sein marks indirect reported speech, standard in news writing.
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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des erlittenen Schadens
'Ursache' takes a genitive complement expressing what the damage is the cause of.
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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seien ... gewesen
The perfect of 'sein' is formed with 'sein' plus the participle 'gewesen'.
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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In 2.700 Fällen seien die Fehler
Fronting the prepositional phrase pushes the finite verb to second position and the subject after 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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erlittenen Schadens
The past participle of 'erleiden' modifies 'Schaden' attributively.
Both participles can stand before a noun and take ordinary adjective endings. The past participle is passive in sense, the present participle active: das gekochte Ei against das kochende Wasser.
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Words(9)
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- 2.700
2,700
numeralA1
- der Fall
case, instance, fall
nounB1pl. Fällegen. Fallesstrong declension
im Fall + genitive means 'in the event of'.
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- der Fehler
error, mistake, fault
nounA2pl. Fehlergen. Fehlersstrong declension
- auch
also, too
adverbA1modal
Focus particle; here it means the ministers are included among others already named.
- die Ursache
cause, reason
nounB1pl. Ursachengen. Ursachemixed declension
- der Schaden
damage, harm, loss
nounB1pl. Schädengen. Schadensstrong declension