Berichtssätze

Berichtssätze are a grammatical construction in German used to report what someone has said or thought. They function similarly to reported speech in English. A Berichtssatz is typically introduced by a verb of saying, thinking, knowing, or perceiving, such as "sagen" (to say), "meinen" (to think/mean), "wissen" (to know), or "sehen" (to see).

The key characteristic of a Berichtssatz is the use of the subjunctive mood, specifically the Konjunktiv I. This is used to indicate that the statement is not necessarily a factual assertion by the speaker of the Berichtssatz, but rather a report of another's words. For example, "Er sagt, er sei müde" (He says he is tired) uses "sei" (Konjunktiv I of "sein") to report his tiredness. If the Konjunktiv I form is identical to the indicative form, Konjunktiv II is sometimes used, though this is less common.

Another common way to form Berichtssätze is through the use of "dass" (that). In this construction, the verb typically remains in the indicative mood, but the "dass" clause clearly separates the reported speech from the main clause. For instance, "Sie weiß, dass er kommt" (She knows that he is coming). While "dass" clauses can sometimes be replaced by other structures, they are a frequent and clear way to express reported speech. Berichtssätze are essential for conveying indirect speech and attributions in German.