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Opening sentence of Wagenknecht und das BSW: Mit Schlagzeilen in den Überlebenskampf, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
Ahead of the hot phase of the election campaign in Saxony-Anhalt, it is above all founder Sahra Wagenknecht who is trying to get into conversation with the AfD.
Word for word: Before the hot phase of-the election-campaign in Saxony-Anhalt tries before all founder Sahra Wagenknecht, with the AfD into the conversation to come.
Reports that shortly before the state election campaign heats up in Saxony-Anhalt, Sahra Wagenknecht in particular is seeking contact/dialogue with the AfD; typical journalistic register.
A verb-second main clause opens with a fronted prepositional phrase ('Vor der heißen Phase ...'), so the finite verb 'versucht' occupies position two and the subject 'Gründerin Sahra Wagenknecht' follows. 'vor' takes the dative ('der heißen Phase'), 'des Wahlkampfs' is a genitive attribute, and the fixed expression 'mit jemandem ins Gespräch kommen' appears as a zu-infinitive clause at the end.
Rules at work(7)
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Vor der heißen Phase ... versucht vor allem Gründerin Sahra Wagenknecht
The fronted prepositional phrase fills the first position, so the finite verb must stand second and 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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ins Gespräch zu kommen
'versuchen' governs a zu-infinitive clause placed at the end of the sentence.
Many verbs, adjectives and nouns take an infinitive introduced by zu, which stands at the end of its clause. With a separable verb the zu goes between the prefix and the stem, giving aufzustehen.
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Vor der heißen Phase
'vor' as a temporal preposition governs the dative, hence 'der heißen Phase'.
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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des Wahlkampfs
The genitive attribute marks possession/belonging: the phase of the campaign.
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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der heißen Phase
After the definite article in dative feminine the adjective takes the weak ending -en.
After a definite article the adjective ending is e in the five nominative and accusative singular slots and en everywhere else, because the article has already shown the case and gender.
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in Sachsen-Anhalt
'in' takes the dative for location: the campaign is located in Saxony-Anhalt.
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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mit der AfD ins Gespräch zu kommen
'ins Gespräch kommen mit jemandem' is a fixed verb phrase requiring 'mit' + dative.
Many verbs are tied to one preposition and one case, and the pairing rarely matches the English one. Warten auf takes the accusative, denken an takes the accusative, teilnehmen an takes the dative.
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Words(18)
- vor
before, in front of, ago
prepositionA1governs dative
With clock time ('vor 7 Uhr') it means 'before' and takes no visible case change.
- die
the
determinerA1definite
- heiß
hot, heated
adjectiveA1heißer, am heißesten
- die Phase
phase, stage
nounB1pl. Phasengen. Phaseweak declension
- der Wahlkampf
election campaign
nounB2pl. Wahlkämpfegen. Wahlkampfesstrong declension
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- das Sachsen-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt (German federal state)
nounB1pl. Sachsen-Anhaltgen. Sachsen-Anhaltsinvariable declension
- versuchen
to try, to attempt
verbA2versuchen, versuchte, hat versuchtmit habenweak
- alles
everything, all
pronounA1indefinite
Grammatically singular despite its meaning: 'alles war', not 'alles waren'.
- die Gründerin
founder (female)
nounB1pl. Gründerinnengen. Gründerinweak declension
- Sahra
Sahra (female first name)
nounC2
- Wagenknecht
Wagenknecht (German surname)
nounC2
- mit
with, by (means of transport)
prepositionA1governs dative
Always dative, including travel: 'mit dem Bus, mit dem Rad'.
- die AfD
Alternative für Deutschland (right-wing German party)
nounC1pl. AfDgen. AfDinvariable declension
Feminine: die AfD.
- ins
into the
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Contraction of 'in dem' is 'im'; 'ins' is always 'in das' (accusative).
- das Gespräch
conversation, dialogue
nounB1pl. Gesprächegen. Gesprächsstrong declension
'ins Gespräch bringen' = to bring something up for discussion.
- zu
marker before infinitives
particleA1
Only certain verbs and expressions allow a zu-infinitive; it also exists as a preposition 'to'.
- kommen
to come
verbA1kommen, kam, ist gekommenmit seinstrong
Figurative here: the decisions should 'come', i.e. appear soon.