Konjunktiv I (Indirekte Rede)

C1 German grammar — Politics. Political German uses **Konjunktiv I** in **indirect speech** to report positions neutrally (*Der Abgeordnete **erkläre*…

Open chapter: Politik

Rule explained

Political German uses **Konjunktiv I** in **indirect speech** to report positions neutrally (*Der Abgeordnete **erkläre**, der Antrag **entspreche** dem Grundgesetz*). Where **K-I would be ambiguous** (same as indicative), prefer **K-II** or restructure with **nach Angaben von** + noun. After **dass** the finite verb is final; K-I appears on embedded verbs. Press agencies vary — **Duden**-oriented style still teaches K-I for third persons.

Examples

Use these mini-pairs as templates:

• Er sagt, er sei krank. — He says he is ill.
• Sie behauptet, sie habe Recht. — She claims to be right.
• Der Minister sagte, die Lage sei stabil. — The minister said the situation was stable.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these learner errors:

• When K-I = Indicative, switch to K-II (or 'würde + Inf') to keep clarity.
• Don't use 'dass' obligatorily — the Konjunktiv I itself signals reported speech.