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From Bis mindestens März 2027: Grenzkontrollen sollen erneut verlängert werden, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
Although the borders within the EU are actually supposed to be open, checks have been carried out again at all German external borders since 16 September 2024.
Word for word: Although the borders within of-the EU actually open be shall, is since the 16th September 2024 again at all German external-borders controlled.
It states that despite the EU principle of open internal borders, Germany has been re-imposing border controls at its external borders since that date. Typical of news reporting.
The sentence opens with a concessive subordinate clause introduced by 'obwohl', which pushes the finite modal verb 'sollen' to the end; the infinitive 'sein' sits before it in a double-infinitive style construction. The main clause is a present-tense passive ('wird ... kontrolliert') with no expressed agent. 'seit' governs the dative ('dem 16. September'), as does 'an' here for location ('an allen deutschen Außengrenzen').
Rules at work(9)
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Obwohl
'Obwohl' introduces a concessive subordinate clause and requires verb-final word order.
Weil, dass, wenn, als, ob, obwohl, damit, nachdem, bevor and the rest introduce a subordinate clause and send its finite verb to the very end.
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offen sein sollen
In the obwohl-clause the finite modal 'sollen' moves to the end, with the infinitive 'sein' before it.
In a subordinate clause the finite verb stands last. Where the clause also holds a participle or an infinitive, the finite verb goes after them, so the order at the end is participle then auxiliary.
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wird ... kontrolliert
The main clause is a present-tense passive without an agent: checks are being carried out.
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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wird
The passive uses the present of 'werden' to describe an ongoing state of affairs.
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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seit dem 16. September 2024
'Seit' always governs the dative, so the date appears as 'dem 16. September'.
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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an allen deutschen Außengrenzen
'An' takes the dative here because it describes location, not movement.
An, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen take the accusative when the phrase answers where to, and the dative when it answers where. The distinction is movement across a boundary against position, not motion against stillness.
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innerhalb der EU
'Innerhalb' is one of the prepositions that always take the genitive.
Während, wegen, trotz, statt and a longer list in formal writing take the genitive, though the dative is widely heard with them in speech.
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die Grenzen ... sollen
The plural subject 'Grenzen' agrees with the plural finite form 'sollen'.
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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allen deutschen Außengrenzen
After the quantifier 'allen' the adjective 'deutschen' takes the weak dative plural ending.
After ein, kein and a possessive, the adjective takes strong endings exactly where the article shows nothing, which is the masculine nominative and the neuter nominative and accusative, and weak endings everywhere else.
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Words(22)
- obwohl
although, even though
conjunctionA2subordinating
Sends the finite verb to the end of its clause.
- die
the
determinerA1definite
- die Grenze
border, boundary
nounA2pl. Grenzengen. Grenzemixed declension
Fixed pattern: die Grenze zu + dative = border with.
- innerhalb
within, inside
prepositionB2governs genitive
Always genitive; can also be temporal ('within two weeks').
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- die EU
EU (European Union)
nounA2pl. —gen. EUinvariable declension
- eigentlich
actually, in fact, really
adverbB1modal
Signals a contrast between expectation and reality.
- offen
open
adjectiveA1offener, am offensten
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.
- sollen
should, to be supposed to
verbA2sollen, sollte, gesolltmit habenmodal
In reporting, 'soll' signals that something is planned or claimed rather than fact.
- werden
become, will (future auxiliary)
verbA2werden, wurde, ist gewordenmit habenirregular
Also the passive auxiliary; do not confuse with bekommen (= receive).
- seit
since, for
prepositionA2governs dative
With time spans German uses 'seit' + present tense where English uses perfect: 'seit 13 Jahren' = 'for 13 years'.
- dem
the, to the
determinerA1definite
- 16.
16th
numeralA1
- der September
September
nounA1pl. Septembergen. Septembersstrong declension
- 2024
2024
numeralA1
- wieder
again, once more
adverbA1temporal
Do not confuse with wider 'against'.
- an
on, at, by
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for points in time and location (am Montag), accusative for direction.
- all
all, every
determinerA1quantifier
- deutsch
German
adjectiveA1deutscher, am deutschesten
- die Außengrenze
external border
nounB2pl. Außengrenzengen. Außengrenzemixed declension
- kontrollieren
to check, to control, to inspect
verbB1kontrollieren, kontrollierte, hat kontrolliertmit habenweak
False friend: usually means 'to check/inspect', not just 'to control'.