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Opening sentence of Finanzminister in den tagesthemen: Klingbeil sieht Regierung nach Klausur im Aufbruch, tagesschau.de, 26 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
After two days of cabinet retreat, Vice-Chancellor Klingbeil puts on a combative show.
Word for word: After two days cabinet-retreat gives itself vice-chancellor Klingbeil combatively.
Used in news reporting: after a two-day government retreat, the Vice-Chancellor presents himself as determined and ready for a fight, typically signalling confidence before political battles ahead.
A statement in the present tense with verb-second word order. The prepositional phrase 'Nach zwei Tagen Kabinettsklausur' opens the sentence, so the finite verb 'gibt' occupies position two and the subject 'Vizekanzler Klingbeil' follows it. 'Sich kämpferisch geben' is a fixed expression meaning to appear or pose as something; 'sich' is the accusative reflexive pronoun and 'kämpferisch' an adverbial use of the adjective.
Rules at work(4)
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Nach zwei Tagen Kabinettsklausur gibt sich
The fronted adverbial phrase pushes the finite verb into second position, with the subject following 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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gibt
The simple present is used in journalistic style for current events.
The present describes what is happening now, what happens habitually, and very often what is going to happen, since German uses the present with a time expression where English would use a future.
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Nach zwei Tagen
'Nach' governs the dative, so 'Tagen' takes dative plural form.
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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gibt sich
The idiom 'sich etwas geben' uses 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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Words(9)
- nach
after
prepositionA1governs dative
With places it means movement towards; here temporal 'after'.
- zwei
two
numeralA1
- der Tag
day
nounA1pl. Tagegen. des Tagesmixed declension
- die Kabinettsklausur
cabinet retreat, cabinet closed-door meeting
nounC2pl. Kabinettsklausurengen. Kabinettsklausurmixed declension
Journalistic term for a working session of the cabinet away from Berlin.
- geben
give, here: give the appearance of, pose as
verbA1geben, gab, hat gegebenmit habenstrong
'es gibt' + accusative is the standard way to say 'there is/are'
- sich
himself/herself/themselves, itself
pronounA2reflexive
Always refers back to the subject; here it is fixed to the verb 'sich mehren'.
- der Vizekanzler
vice-chancellor, deputy head of government
nounB2pl. Vizekanzlergen. Vizekanzlersweak declension
- der Klingbeil
Klingbeil (surname)
nounC1gen. Klingbeilsstrong declension
- kämpferisch
combative, fighting, militant
adjectiveB2kämpferischer, am kämpferischsten