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From Vorschlag der AWO : Mit einem "Erwerbsbooster" gegen die Armut, tagesschau.de, 19 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
In order to get out of this crisis, the welfare association recommends a fundamental reform, based on the recommendations of the federal government's social state commission. In January, in its report, the latter had listed 26 concrete recommendations on how the social state should be modernised.
Word for word: Um out of this crisis to come, recommends the welfare association a fundamental reform, footing on the recommendations of the social-state-commission of the federal government. That (one) had in January in its report 26 concrete recommendations listed, how one the social state modernise should.
A news-style passage: to escape the crisis, the welfare association proposes fundamental reform grounded in the recommendations of the government's social-state commission, which had set out 26 concrete proposals for modernising the welfare state in its January report.
The first sentence opens with an um-zu purpose clause containing a separable verb (herauskommen) as a zu-infinitive with the separable prefix attached (herauszukommen). The main clause is verb-second with the finite verb 'empfiehlt' agreeing with the singular subject 'der Wohlfahrtsverband'. 'fußend auf' is a present participle phrase modifying 'Reform', governing dative. The genitive attribute 'der Sozialstaatskommission der Bundesregierung' chains two genitives. The second sentence uses 'die' as a demonstrative pronoun referring back to 'die Sozialstaatskommission', with pluperfect 'hatte ... aufgelistet' marking an event prior to the recommendation. An indirect question clause with 'wie' carries the conjugated modal 'sollte' in final position.
Rules at work(10)
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Um aus dieser Krise herauszukommen
The fronted purpose clause uses um plus a zu-infinitive to say what the reform is meant to achieve.
Um plus an infinitive with zu at the end expresses purpose. It works only where both clauses share a subject; where they do not, damit is used instead.
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herauszukommen
The separable prefix heraus rejoins the stem in the zu-infinitive, giving heraus-zu-kommen.
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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empfiehlt der Wohlfahrtsverband
After the fronted purpose clause the finite verb occupies second position in the main clause.
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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Die hatte im Januar
Die functions as a demonstrative pronoun referring back to die Sozialstaatskommission, a common device in written German.
Dieser and jener decline like the definite article. The article forms themselves are also used demonstratively in speech, with stress doing the work: Den kenne ich.
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hatte ... aufgelistet
Hatte plus past participle marks that the listing happened before the recommending.
The pluperfect describes what had already happened before some other past event. It is built like the perfect but with hatte or war instead of hat or ist, and it very often appears in a clause introduced by nachdem.
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wie man den Sozialstaat modernisieren sollte
In the wie-clause the finite modal sollte stands at the end with the infinitive 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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empfiehlt der Wohlfahrtsverband
Singular subject Wohlfahrtsverband takes the -t form empfiehlt.
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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fußend auf den Empfehlungen
The present participle fußend is used adjectivally to modify Reform, taking its prepositional complement with dative.
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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der Sozialstaatskommission der Bundesregierung
Two chained genitive attributes mark possession: recommendations of the commission of the federal government.
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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modernisieren sollte
The modal sollte combines with the infinitive modernisieren to express what was supposed to happen.
The six modals können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen and mögen say something about the main verb rather than naming an action. The modal is the finite verb in second position and the main verb goes to the end of the clause as an infinitive.
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Words(31)
- um
around, by (an amount), at (a time)
prepositionA1governs accusative
'um 26 Prozent' = 'by 26 percent'; essential pattern for describing differences.
- aus
out of, from, made of
prepositionA1governs dative
- dieser
this, that
determinerA2demonstrative
Takes the same endings as the definite article; the dative neuter form is "diesem".
- die Krise
crisis
nounB1pl. Krisengen. Krisestrong declension
- herauskommen
to get out (of), to emerge
verbB1herauskommen, kam heraus, ist herausgekommenmit seinseparableirregular
- empfehlen
to recommend
verbB1empfehlen, empfahl, empfohlenmit habenirregular
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- der Wohlfahrtsverband
welfare association
nounC1pl. Wohlfahrtsverbändegen. Wohlfahrtsverbandesstrong declension
- ein
a, an, one
determinerA1indefinite
The form einer here is dative feminine singular, not the pronoun meaning 'one'.
- grundlegend
fundamental, basic
adjectiveB2grundlegender, am grundlegendsten
- die Reform
reform
nounB1pl. Reformengen. Reformmixed declension
- fußen
to be based (on), to rest (on)
verbC1fußen, fußte, gefußtmit habenweakauf + dative
- auf
on, onto
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Location takes the dative, movement towards the accusative.
- die Empfehlung
recommendation
nounB1pl. Empfehlungengen. Empfehlungmixed declension
- die Sozialstaatskommission
social state commission (government commission on the welfare state)
nounC2pl. Sozialstaatskommissionengen. Sozialstaatskommissionstrong declension
- die Bundesregierung
federal government
nounB2pl. Bundesregierungengen. Bundesregierungstrong declension
- die
who, which, that
pronounA2relative
Demonstrative 'die' pointing back to a previously mentioned noun; stronger than plain 'sie'.
- haben
to have
verbA1haben, hatte, hat gehabtmit habenirregular
As an auxiliary it forms the perfect tenses of most verbs.
- im
in the
prepositionA1governs dative
Fixed fusion of in + dem; the dative is built in.
- der Januar
January
nounA1pl. Januaregen. Januarsstrong declension
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- ihr
their, her
determinerA2possessive
Refers to feminine or plural possessors; here 'its' (the commission's).
- der Bericht
report, account
nounB1pl. Berichtegen. Berichtsstrong declension
- 26
twenty-six
numeralA1
- konkret
concrete, specific
adjectiveB1konkreter, am konkrettesten
- auflisten
to list, to enumerate
verbB2auflisten, listete auf, aufgelistetmit habenseparableweak
- wie
like, as, how
conjunctionA1subordinating
Here introducing an example, equivalent to 'such as'.
- man
one, people, you
pronounA1indefinite
Impersonal subject; never translated as 'the man'.
- der Sozialstaat
welfare state
nounC1pl. Sozialstaatengen. Sozialstaatesstrong declension
- modernisieren
to modernise
verbB2modernisieren, modernisierte, modernisiertmit habenweak
- sollen
should, to be supposed to
verbA2sollen, sollte, gesolltmit habenmodal
In reporting, 'soll' signals that something is planned or claimed rather than fact.