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From Neuer Vorstoß auf EU-Ebene: Klingbeil fordert Übergewinnsteuer für Ölkonzerne, tagesschau.de, 22 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
"We are experiencing one of the biggest supply shocks in decades, and all over the world discontent at the rise in the cost of living is growing," reads the letter, which is addressed to Ireland's finance minister.
Word for word: "We experience one of-the greatest supply-shocks since decades and everywhere on the world grows the discontent over the rise of-the life-maintenance-costs," is-called it in the letter, which to the finance-minister of-Ireland directed is.
A formal, journalistic sentence quoting a letter that describes global supply problems and rising public anger over living costs; the letter was sent to the Irish finance minister.
Two coordinated main clauses each follow verb-second word order ('Wir erleben', 'überall auf der Welt wächst'). The quoted material is followed by the reporting formula 'heißt es'. A relative clause 'der ... gerichtet ist' has verb-final order and contains a statal passive (sein + past participle). Several genitive attributes appear: the partitive 'einen der größten Versorgungsschocks', 'der Lebenshaltungskosten' and 'Irlands'.
Rules at work(14)
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Wir erleben ... und überall auf der Welt wächst
Both main clauses place the finite verb in second position, even when a long adverbial fronts the second 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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der größten Versorgungsschocks ... der Lebenshaltungskosten ... Irlands
Genitive marks the partitive complement, the noun depending on Anstieg, and the possessive proper name.
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 an den Finanzminister Irlands gerichtet ist
Der introduces a relative clause modifying Brief and carries its gender and number.
A relative pronoun takes its gender and number from the noun it refers back to, and its case from the job it does inside the relative clause. The clause is verb-final and always separated by a comma.
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der an den Finanzminister Irlands gerichtet ist
In the relative clause the finite verb ist stands at the end, after the participle.
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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gerichtet ist
Sein plus past participle forms the statal passive, describing the resulting state of the letter being addressed.
Man plus an active verb, sich lassen plus an infinitive, and sein plus an infinitive with zu all express what a passive would, and all three are commoner in speech than the werden passive.
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erleben ... wächst ... heißt ... ist
All finite verbs are in the present tense, describing current events and states.
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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Wir erleben
First-person plural subject wir takes the -en ending erleben.
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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einen ... den Anstieg ... den Finanzminister
Direct objects and objects of über/an in these senses appear in the accusative.
The accusative marks the direct object: the thing the action is done to. Only the masculine changes visibly, from der to den and from ein to einen, which is why the masculine is where accusative errors show.
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seit Jahrzehnten
Seit always governs the dative, hence Jahrzehnten with its dative plural -n.
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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auf der Welt ... über den Anstieg ... an den Finanzminister
Auf takes dative for location, while über and an take accusative here for the target of a feeling and the addressee.
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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und
Und links two independent main clauses without changing their word order.
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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größten
The superlative größten appears inside the partitive phrase einen der größten.
German adds er and st rather than using more and most, however long the adjective. Many one syllable adjectives take an umlaut, and the superlative before a noun takes an ordinary adjective ending while a standalone one uses am plus sten.
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Versorgungsschocks ... Lebenshaltungskosten ... Finanzminister
Three compounds are built from simpler nouns joined directly, with gender taken from the final element.
German builds long nouns by joining shorter ones. The last part carries the gender and the plural, and everything before it modifies what follows, so a compound is read from the right.
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Wir ... es
Wir is the subject of the quote; es is the dummy subject of the reporting formula heißt es.
Personal pronouns change form by case: ich, mich, mir. They agree with the grammatical gender of the noun they replace, so a table is sie and a spoon is er.
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Words(26)
- wir
we
pronounA1personal
- erleben
to experience, to live through
verbA2erleben, erlebte, hat erlebtmit habenweak
- ein
a, an, one
determinerA1indefinite
The form einer here is dative feminine singular, not the pronoun meaning 'one'.
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- groß
big, great
adjectiveA1größer, am größten / das größte
- der Versorgungsschock
supply shock
nounC1pl. Versorgungsschocksgen. Versorgungsschocksstrong declension
- seit
since, for
prepositionA2governs dative
With time spans German uses 'seit' + present tense where English uses perfect: 'seit 13 Jahren' = 'for 13 years'.
- das Jahrzehnt
decade
nounB1pl. Jahrzehntegen. Jahrzehntsstrong declension
- und
and
conjunctionA1coordinating
- überall
everywhere
adverbA2local
- auf
on, onto
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Location takes the dative, movement towards the accusative.
- die Welt
world
nounA1pl. Weltengen. Weltstrong declension
- wachsen
to grow, to increase
verbA2wachsen, wuchs, ist gewachsenmit seinstrong
- der Unmut
discontent, displeasure
nounC1pl. Unmutegen. Unmutesstrong declension
- über
over, above, about, via, by way of
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Accusative with movement or route, as here ('via the programme'); dative for static location.
- der Anstieg
rise, increase, ascent
nounB1pl. Anstiegegen. Anstiegsstrong declension
- die Lebenshaltungskosten
cost of living, living costs
nounB2pl. Lebenshaltungskostengen. Lebenshaltungskostenmixed declension
- heißen
to be called, to say (in reporting)
verbA1heißen, hieß, geheißenmit habenstrong
'Heißt es' is a fixed journalistic formula meaning 'it says / reads'.
- es
it
pronounA1personal
Often a dummy subject, as in es geht darum.
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- der Brief
letter
nounA1pl. Briefegen. Briefesstrong declension
- an
on, at, by
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for points in time and location (am Montag), accusative for direction.
- der Finanzminister
finance minister
nounB2pl. Finanzministergen. Finanzministersstrong declension
Compound of Finanzen + Minister; refers to the head of the finance ministry.
- das Irland
Ireland
nounA2pl. Irlandgen. Irlandsstrong declension
- richten
to direct, to address, to straighten
verbB1richten, richtete, hat gerichtetmit habenweakrichten an + accusative
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.