KonjunktivI

Konjunktiv I, often abbreviated as Konjunktiv I, is a mood in German used mainly for indirect speech. It marks statements, questions, or thoughts as reported rather than asserted by the speaker. The form is common in journalism and formal writing, while in everyday speech the mood is far less frequent and other constructions are often used.

Formation and principal forms: For most verbs, Konjunktiv I present is built from the infinitive stem with endings that resemble the present tense, yielding ich sage, du sagest, er sage, wir sagen, ihr saget, sie sagen. Irregulars include sein -> ich sei, du seiest, er sei, wir seien, ihr seiet, sie seien; haben -> ich habe, du habest, er habe, wir haben, ihr habet, sie haben; werden -> ich werde, du werdest, er werde, wir werden, ihr werdet, sie werden. The Konjunktiv I is typically used for reported statements about the present or future.

Usage in indirect speech: In indirect speech, the Konjunktiv I present is used when reporting statements that are in the present or future: Er sagt, er komme morgen. For past reporting, the Konjunktiv I forms of the perfect or the use of Konjunktiv II can occur, for example: Sie sagte, sie sei gestern gekommen; Er behauptete, er werde kommen. The choice between Konjunktiv I and Konjunktiv II can depend on clarity and style.

Stylistic notes: Konjunktiv I is standard in news reporting, official documents, and academic or formal texts. In everyday conversation, speakers often substitute with the indicative, or prefer Konjunktiv II to express counterfactuals, politeness, or hypothetical meaning.