Rumors and Legends: Past Hearsay with "sollen"
When recounting a rumor or legend, use the modal verb sollen ("is said to" or "is supposed to"). For past hearsay, pair a conjugated form of sollen with the Perfekt infinitive.
The sentence structure is:
- A conjugated form of sollen in position two.
- The Perfekt infinitive (the past participle + haben or sein) at the very end of the sentence.
| The notorious pirate is said to have buried the treasure. | Der berüchtigte Pirat soll den Schatz vergraben haben. |
| The fleet is said to have plundered many cities on the coast. | Die Flotte soll viele Städte an der Küste geplündert haben. |
Choosing Between "haben" and "sein"
Just as in the regular Perfekt tense, the helper verb at the end of the sentence depends on the main verb. Most verbs use haben.
| He is said to have buried the gold deep in the jungle. | Er soll das Gold tief im Dschungel vergraben haben. |
However, verbs expressing motion, a change of state, or the verb sein itself use sein.
| The historical wreck is said to have sunk to the ocean floor. | Das historische Wrack soll auf den Meeresgrund gesunken sein. |
| The pirates are said to have been very rich. | Die Piraten sollen sehr reich gewesen sein. |
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