When you want to report what someone else said—like bizarre rumors about your new university campus—you can use a special verb form called Konjunktiv I (Present Subjunctive). This formal structure shows that you are just repeating hearsay and distancing yourself from whether the statement is actually true.
The Singular Form: sei
To report that a singular noun (he, she, or it) "is" something, the verb sein (to be) becomes sei.
You will usually see this in a clause following a comma and a reporting verb like sagen (to say), behaupten (to claim), or flüstern (to whisper).
Notice that in everyday reported speech, Germans often skip the word dass (that). When you drop dass, the reported statement acts just like a normal main clause, with sei taking the standard second position.
| People say the campus is very mysterious. | Man sagt, der Campus sei sehr mysteriös. |
| People whisper the dormitory is completely empty at night. | Die Leute flüstern, das Wohnheim sei nachts ganz leer. |
| He claims this ritual is dangerous. | Er behauptet, dieses Ritual sei gefährlich. |
The Plural Form: seien
When the rumor is about multiple things or people (they), the reported form of sein becomes seien. Just like with the singular form, it stays in the second position of the reported clause when dass is omitted.
| My fellow student claims there are also ghosts in the cafeteria. | Mein Kommilitone behauptet, in der Mensa seien auch Geister. |
| They whisper the secret passages are long and dark. | Sie flüstern, die Geheimgänge seien lang und dunkel. |