LERNPFAD · B2 · Natürliche Kommunikation mit Muttersprachlern über verschiedene Themen
Konjunktiv I und indirekte Rede
He says that he is ill.
ERKLÄRUNG
Use Konjunktiv I mainly to report someone else’s words, questions, or commands. Its basic form is built from the verb stem plus endings like -e, -est, -e, -en, -et, -en; sein is irregular: ich sei, du seist, er sei.
Konjunktiv I is the main form for indirekte Rede (reported speech) in German. It shows that the speaker is not presenting the information as their own fact, but as something said, written, or asked by someone else.
Most often, you use Konjunktiv I in the 3rd person singular: er sei, sie habe, es komme. In the plural, or in persons where the form would sound unnatural or where Konjunktiv I looks exactly like the indicative, German often switches to Konjunktiv II: sie hätten instead of sie haben. For past reported speech, German often uses sei/habe + Partizip II; for future, werde + infinitive. Reported questions use ob for yes/no questions and the original W- word for open questions. Commands are usually reported with sollen or mögen. Pronouns and time words can change too: ich becomes er/sie, heute may become an diesem Tag, and morgen may become am nächsten Tag.
STRUKTUR
reporting verb + clause with Konjunktiv IUse this especially for 3rd person reported statements.
- Er sagt, er sei krank.He says he is ill.
- Sie berichtet, sie habe heute keine Zeit.She reports that she has no time today.
- Es heißt, im Hotel gebe es kein WLAN.It is said that there is no Wi-Fi in the hotel.
past/future reported speech: sei/habe + Partizip II; werde + infinitiveThe tense of the report is often understood from the reporting verb.
- Er meldet, die Bahn werde später ankommen.He reports that the train will arrive later.
- Sie sagt, sie sei schon gegangen.She says she has already left.
- Der Zeuge erklärt, der Mann habe das Handy genommen.The witness states that the man took the phone.
reported question: ob / W- word; reported command: sollen / mögenKeep the original question word for open questions.
- Sie fragte, ob er Zeit habe.She asked whether he had time.
- Er wollte wissen, wann der Zug komme.He wanted to know when the train would arrive.
- Der Chef verlangte, die Gruppe solle warten.The boss demanded that the group wait.
ÜBERSICHT
Common Konjunktiv I forms
| Verb | ich | du | er/sie/es |
|---|---|---|---|
| sein | sei | seist | sei |
| haben | habe | habest | habe |
| kommen | komme | kommest | komme |
| wissen | wisse | wissest | wisse |
| machen | mache | machest | mache |
| sagen | sage | sagest | sage |
TYPISCHE FEHLER
Sie sagt, sie habet heute keine Zeit.
Sie sagt, sie habe heute keine Zeit.
With haben, the reported form is habe. Habet is not the right form here.
Der Reporter meldet, der Zug kommen später.
Der Reporter meldet, der Zug komme später.
In reported speech, the 3rd person singular usually takes Konjunktiv I: komme. The infinitive kommen after the subject is wrong.
Er fragte, dass sie morgen komme.
Er fragte, ob sie morgen komme.
A reported yes/no question needs ob. Dass introduces a statement, not a question.
Die Chefin sagte, die Mitarbeiter sollt pünktlich sein.
Die Chefin sagte, die Mitarbeiter sollten pünktlich sein.
In reported commands with a plural subject like die Mitarbeiter, sollt is the 2nd person plural form and does not fit. Here Konjunktiv I would be identical to the indicative, so German usually uses Konjunktiv II sollten to show indirect speech.
HINWEISE
- In news reports and formal writing, Konjunktiv I is common; in everyday conversation, speakers often replace it with a clause using dass or with Konjunktiv II if the form is ambiguous.
- The choice is often about form, not time. A present-looking Konjunktiv I can report a past statement if the reporting verb is in the past.
- Pronouns and time expressions adjust to the new speaker’s viewpoint: ich → er/sie, hier → dort, heute → an diesem Tag, morgen → am nächsten Tag.
- Do not confuse Konjunktiv I with polite requests. That is a different use of Konjunktiv II or modal language, not the main topic here.
VERWANDT
Pick the answer that completes the sentence
Sie fragte, ＿＿ er heute Zeit habe.
She asked whether he had time today.