When reviewing statements after a bank robbery, you often need to report what witnesses said happened. To relay someone else's account of a past event, German uses the past tense of Konjunktiv I (indirect speech).
Forming the Past Konjunktiv I
Like the conversational past (Perfekt), the reported past uses a helper verb and a past participle. The difference is that you must use the Konjunktiv I form of the helper verb.
For most verbs, the helper is haben, and its third-person singular form (he, she, it) in Konjunktiv I is habe.
When introduced with a dass (that) clause, the conjugated helper verb (habe) is kicked to the very end of the sentence.
| The witness testified that someone had seen a masked man. | Der Zeuge sagte aus, dass jemand einen maskierten Mann gesehen habe. |
| He reported that the thief had forced him to the safe. | Er berichtete, dass der Dieb ihn zum Tresor gezwungen habe. |
Dropping "dass" and Quoting Sources
Often, German drops dass. When this happens, the reported speech behaves like a normal main clause, with the helper verb in the second position.
| The woman testified that the accomplice had waited outside. | Die Frau sagte aus, der Komplize habe draußen gewartet. |
You will also see this standard main-clause word order when summarizing a statement using phrases like Laut... (According to...).
| According to the employee, the perpetrator had demanded the money as a customer. | Laut dem Angestellten habe der Täter als Kunde das Geld gefordert. |
Using "sei" and "seien"
Just as in the standard past tense, verbs that describe travel, motion, or a change of state (like falling or fleeing) take the helper verb sein instead of haben.
In Konjunktiv I, the third-person singular form is sei. This sentence uses both helpers to show the contrast:
| The police said he had threatened the guard, but no shot had been fired. | Die Polizei sagte, er habe den Wachmann bedroht, aber kein Schuss sei gefallen. |
If the subject of the reported clause is plural ("they"), the helper verb becomes seien.
| She stated that they had fled with the loot in the getaway car. | Sie sagte aus, dass sie mit der Beute im Fluchtwagen geflohen seien. |