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German · Grammar · C1

Konjunktiv I: how German news says “according to them”

WHAT WAS SAID · HOW IT IS REPORTED THE MINISTER„Die Lage ist stabil.““The situation is stable.” THE NEWSPAPERDer Minister sagte, die Lage sei stabil.The minister said the situation was (supposedly) stable. Sei signals: this is his claim, reported neutrally. The paper is not saying it is true.
English shows the same distance only with words like “allegedly” or “according to”. German builds it into the verb.

Short answer: the Konjunktiv I is the mood of indirect speech: reporting what someone said. Form it from the infinitive stem plus -e: er komme, sie habe. Sein is irregular: er sei. Where it looks identical to the normal present (often with ich, wir, sie), use Konjunktiv II instead. In conversation, most people simply use the indicative or würde.

The forms, and the ones you will actually see

Take the infinitive stem and add -e, -est, -e, -en, -et, -en. In practice, the er/sie/es form is the one that appears in news, because it is the only one clearly different from the normal present for most verbs. The highlighted cells are the forms in real use.

Subjectseinhabenkönnenkommengeben
ichseiZINEhabeHAH-buhkönneKÖN-uhkommeKOM-uhgebeGAY-buh
duseistZINESThabestHAH-bustkönnestKÖN-ustkommestKOM-ustgebestGAY-bust
er / sie / esseiZINEhabeHAH-buhkönneKÖN-uhkommeKOM-uhgebeGAY-buh
wirseienZY-unhabenHAH-bunkönnenKÖN-unkommenKOM-ungebenGAY-bun
ihrseietZY-uthabetHAH-butkönnetKÖN-utkommetKOM-utgebetGAY-but
sie / SieseienZY-unhabenHAH-bunkönnenKÖN-unkommenKOM-ungebenGAY-bun

Yellow: clearly Konjunktiv I and common. Grey: identical to the present, so replaced by Konjunktiv II (sie hätten, wir kämen) in careful writing.

Direct speech to reported speech

Three things change: the verb takes Konjunktiv I, the pronouns shift to the reporter’s point of view, and dass is optional. Without dass, keep main-clause word order. Choose a sentence type.

Direct “I’m tired.”ikh bin MÜ-duh
Reported She says she’s tired.Sieshesagt,sayssiesheseiis (Konj. I)müde.tiredzee ZAHKT, zee ZINE MÜ-duh

What changed: ich bin → sie sei: the pronoun shifts to the reporter’s view, and bin becomes sei.

Reporting past and future

Konjunktiv I has no simple past. For anything in the past, use habe or sei + participle, whatever tense the speaker used. For the future, use werde + infinitive.

A news report in Konjunktiv I

Konjunktiv I forms are in red. Notice how the reporter never states the claims as fact. Every word has its English meaning underneath.

THE SPOKESMAN SAYS„Das Unternehmen ist gesund.“das oon-tuh-NAY-mun ist guh-ZOONT THE NEWSPAPER WRITESDas Unternehmen sei gesund.das oon-tuh-NAY-mun ZINE guh-ZOONT ist = the paper states it as fact · sei = “according to him”: the paper keeps its distance
This is why news German uses the Konjunktiv I so heavily: one verb form does the work of “he said”, “allegedly” and “according to”.
DertheSprecherspokesmanerklärte,explaineddastheUnternehmencompanyseiisfinanziellfinanciallygesund.healthy
“The spokesman explained that the company was financially sound.”dair SHPREKH-uh air-KLAIR-tuh, das oon-tuh-NAY-mun ZINE fee-nan-TSYELL guh-ZOONT
Why: No dass, so main-clause order: sei in slot 2.
EstheregebegiveskeinennoGrundreasonzurfor-theSorge.concern
“There was, he said, no cause for concern.”es GAY-buh KY-nun GROONT tsoor ZOR-guh
Why: es gibt → es gebe. A reported sentence can stand alone: the verb form shows it is still the spokesman’s claim.
ManonehabehasalleallVorschriftenregulationseingehalten.complied
“The company had complied with all regulations, he said.”man HAH-buh AL-uh FOR-shrif-tun INE-guh-hal-tun
Why: Past in reported speech: habe + participle.
Kritikercriticsbehauptenclaimdagegen,howeverdietheZahlenfiguresseienaregeschönt.embellished
“Critics, however, claim the figures have been massaged.”KREE-tee-kuh buh-HOWP-tun dah-GAY-gun, dee TSAH-lun ZY-un guh-SHÖNT
Why: seien, plural: clearly different from sind, so Konjunktiv I works here.

In conversation: what people really say

Formal writing, newsair ZAHK-tuh, air ZINE KRANKKonjunktiv I: neutral, distanced.
Careful speechair ZAHK-tuh, air VAIR-uh KRANKKonjunktiv II: common in speech, can hint at doubt.
Everyday speechair hat guh-ZAHKT, air ist KRANKIndicative: what most people say with friends.

Es lebe …, Gott sei Dank: Konjunktiv I in fixed phrases

Outside reported speech, Konjunktiv I survives in a handful of wishes, recipes and set phrases.

Er fragte, ob …: reporting questions

Yes/no → ob
Erhefragte,askedobwhethersieshekomme.come
air FRAAK-te, OP zee KO-me · “He asked whether she was coming.”Why: ob + verb at the end in Konjunktiv I.
W-question
Sieshewollte wissen,wanted knowwannwhender Zugthe trainfahre.go
zee VOL-te VI-sen, VAN dair TSOOK FAA-re · “She wanted to know when the train left.”Why: The question word stays; verb goes last.
In the news
Der Reporterthe reporterfragte,askedobwhetheresitVerletzteinjuredgebe.give
dair re-POR-ter FRAAK-te, OP es fer-LETS-te GAY-be · “The reporter asked whether anyone was hurt.”Why: es gibt → es gebe.
Spoken
Erhehat gefragt,has askedobwhetherduyoukommst.come
air hat ge-FRAAKT, OP doo KOMST · “He asked if you’re coming.”Why: In conversation, the indicative is normal.

Related guides

Next guideKonjunktiv IIWürde, hätte, wäre: the replacement forms. Next guideParticlesdoch, ja, mal: the other C1 topic. Next guideThe passiveNews German’s other favourite structure. Course mapGerman hubThe full course map from A1 to C2.