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Second 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
Now the SPD ministers of justice and construction are following up - with some concrete proposals.
Word for word: Now lay the SPD-ministers for justice and construction after - with partly concrete proposals.
Used in journalistic register to say that the SPD ministers are now intensifying their push or adding to what they have already said or done, this time with proposals that are concrete at least in part.
A main clause with verb-second word order: the temporal adverb 'Nun' occupies the first position, so the finite verb 'legen' comes second and its separable prefix 'nach' moves to the end of the clause. The subject 'die SPD-Ministerinnen' is plural nominative, agreeing with the third-person plural 'legen'. A prepositional phrase 'für Justiz und Bau' specifies the portfolios, and a final 'mit'-phrase describes how they follow up. The dash introduces an appended elaborating phrase rather than a new clause.
Rules at work(8)
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Nun legen die SPD-Ministerinnen ... nach
The fronted adverb 'Nun' fills the first position, forcing the finite verb 'legen' into second place while the subject follows 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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legen ... nach
'Nachlegen' is separable, so the finite stem stays in second position and the prefix 'nach' moves to the end of the clause.
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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die SPD-Ministerinnen legen
The plural subject takes the third-person plural finite form 'legen'.
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.
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mit teils konkreten Vorschlägen
'Mit' always governs the dative, hence 'Vorschlägen' with the dative plural -n and the weak adjective ending -en.
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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für Justiz und Bau
'Für' governs the accusative, so both coordinated nouns stand in the accusative as objects of the preposition.
Durch, für, gegen, ohne and um always take the accusative, whatever they mean and whatever follows them.
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Justiz und Bau
'Und' coordinates the two nouns sharing the single preposition 'für'.
Und, aber, oder, denn and sondern join two main clauses and do not count as an element, so the word order after them is unchanged and the verb stays in second position.
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legen
German uses the present tense here for an ongoing development currently reported in the news.
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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die SPD-Ministerinnen, Justiz, Bau
Each noun carries its inherent gender shown by article forms and endings.
Every German noun is masculine, feminine or neuter. The gender is a property of the word rather than of the thing it names, and it decides the form of every article, adjective and pronoun that refers to it, so it has to be learned with the noun.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(12)
- nun
now, at this point
adverbA2temporal
Often signals a new stage in narration rather than plain 'now'.
- nachlegen
to follow up, to intensify one's efforts, to add more (fuel)
verbC1legen nach, legte nach, hat nachgelegtmit habenseparableweak
Often used in journalism for someone stepping up pressure or adding to previous demands; literal meaning is adding fuel to a fire.
- die
the
determinerA1definite
- die SPD-Ministerin
SPD (female) minister
nounB2pl. SPD-Ministerinnengen. der SPD-Ministerinmixed declension
- für
for
prepositionA1governs accusative
Here für Dienstag names the day the forecast applies to, not a beneficiary.
- die Justiz
justice, judiciary
nounB1pl. Justizengen. Justizstrong declension
- und
and
conjunctionA1coordinating
- der Bau
construction, building
nounA2pl. Bautengen. Bausstrong declension
Here short for the construction/housing portfolio (Bauwesen).
- mit
with, by (means of transport)
prepositionA1governs dative
Always dative, including travel: 'mit dem Bus, mit dem Rad'.
- teils
partly, in some cases
adverbB2degree
Often paired as 'teils … teils' meaning 'partly … partly'.
- konkret
concrete, specific
adjectiveB1konkreter, am konkrettesten
- der Vorschlag
proposal, suggestion
nounB1pl. Vorschlägegen. Vorschlagsstrong declension