C1 · The subjunctive
Konjunktiv I
reported speech in the news
A form that says "somebody else said this" and takes no position on whether it is true.
Konjunktiv I marks a statement as reported. Der Minister sagte, er sei nicht informiert worden — the form sei says the minister said it, and the writer is neither endorsing nor doubting it.
It is built from the infinitive stem plus -e, -est, -e, -en, -et, -en, which means it is visible mainly in the third person singular: er habe, er komme, er gehe. Sein is irregular and is the form you will meet most: sei, seist, sei, seien.
Where Konjunktiv I would be identical to the ordinary present — which it is in most persons — German switches to Konjunktiv II instead: sie sagten, sie hätten nichts gewusst, not sie haben. That substitution is a rule rather than a liberty, and it is why the two subjunctives appear side by side in the same news report.
Die Form
| sein | ich sei, er sei, wir seien |
| haben | er habe, sie hätten (substituted) |
| regular | er komme, er gehe, er wisse |
| with a modal | er könne, er müsse, er wolle |
| past | er sei gekommen, er habe gesagt |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
Konjunktiv I marks a statement as somebody else's, without endorsing it.
Sie sagte, sie komme später.She said she was coming later.
It is formed from the infinitive stem plus -e, and is clearest in the third person singular.
Er behauptet, er habe nichts gewusst.He claims he knew nothing about it.
Where the form would be identical to the present, Konjunktiv II takes over.
Sie sagten, sie hätten nichts gewusst.They said they had known nothing about it.
The past is sei or habe plus the participle — one past form, as in Konjunktiv II.
Der Zeuge sagte, er sei zu Hause gewesen.The witness said he had been at home.
Genauer hingesehen
What English does instead
English marks reported speech by shifting the tense back: "he said he was not informed". That shift is doing part of the same job, but it says nothing about the writer's position — "he said he was not informed" and "he said he is not informed" differ in timing, not in endorsement.
To get the German effect, English adds a word: "allegedly", "reportedly", "he claims". Those are editorial choices with a visible tone; German has a grammatical form that is entirely neutral. That is why German press reporting can distance itself from a claim without appearing to sneer at it, and why translating such a passage faithfully is genuinely difficult.
Ausnahmen und Sonderfälle (2)
-
the form is identical to the indicative
Konjunktiv II is used instead — sie hätten, not sie haben.
Die Anwälte erklärten, sie wüssten nichts davon.The lawyers stated that they knew nothing about it.
A form that cannot be recognised cannot mark anything, so the language reaches for one that can.
-
the reporting is informal or spoken
German uses dass plus the indicative and nobody minds.
Er hat gesagt, dass er später kommt.He said he is coming later.
Konjunktiv I belongs to written and formal register; in conversation it sounds like reading aloud from a newspaper.
Woran man es erkennt
- sei
- habe
- komme
- werde
- könne
- laut
- so heißt es
Beispielsätze
Die Sprecherin erklärte, die Zahlen seien vorläufig.The spokeswoman explained that the figures were provisional.
Er sagte, er sei nicht dabei gewesen.He said he had not been there.
Es heißt, das Verfahren werde eingestellt.The proceedings are said to be being dropped.
Der Bericht behauptet, es gebe keine Belege.The report claims there is no evidence.
Sie betonte, sie habe rechtzeitig informiert.She stressed that she had given notice in time.
Noch 8 Beispielsätze
Der Minister sagte, er trage die Verantwortung.The minister said he bore the responsibility.
Laut Polizei sei niemand verletzt worden.According to the police nobody was injured.
Die Firma teilte mit, die Lieferung verzögere sich.The company announced that the delivery was delayed.
Sie schrieb, sie könne leider nicht kommen.She wrote that unfortunately she could not come.
Es wurde berichtet, die Straße sei gesperrt.It was reported that the road was closed.
Der Arzt sagte, ich solle mich ausruhen.The doctor said I should rest.
Er gab an, den Brief nie erhalten zu haben.He stated that he had never received the letter.
Das Gericht stellte fest, der Vertrag sei gültig.The court found that the contract was valid.
Besonderheiten (2)
-
The dass can be dropped and the form carries on
Reported speech in Konjunktiv I usually omits <z>dass</z>, and then the clause keeps ordinary main-clause word order: <z>Er sagte, er sei krank gewesen.</z> The subjunctive is doing the marking, so the conjunction is not needed — which is exactly why the form survives in a register that values compression.
Sie erklärte, das Projekt sei abgeschlossen.She explained that the project was complete.
-
It is also the form of a recipe and a wish
Konjunktiv I has two fossil uses outside reported speech: instructions (<z>man nehme drei Eier</z>) and set wishes (<z>es lebe die Freiheit</z>, <z>Gott sei Dank</z>). Both are archaic in flavour, and both are the same form doing an older job — marking something as not yet a fact.
Man nehme drei Eier und etwas Mehl.Take three eggs and a little flour.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
The indicative version is not ungrammatical — it is a different statement. With the indicative the writer reports the fact as their own; with Konjunktiv I they report it as his claim. In journalism that distinction is the difference between reporting and asserting, which is why the form survives in a language that has otherwise let its subjunctives go.
sei and habe say: he said it, not I.
Jetzt selbst
5 Aufgaben zu diesem Thema. Die Antworten werden im Browser geprüft; nichts davon verlässt Ihr Gerät.