Breakdown of Die Leute flüstern, das Wohnheim sei nachts ganz leer.
sein
to be
die Leute
the people
ganz
quite, completely; whole
leer
empty
Questions & Answers about Die Leute flüstern, das Wohnheim sei nachts ganz leer.
Why is sei used here instead of ist?
Sei is the present subjunctive (Konjunktiv I) form of sein (to be) for the third-person singular (matching das Wohnheim). In German, this form is used for reported speech. By using sei, you show that you are just repeating what the people whisper, distancing yourself from whether it is actually a fact or just a rumor.
Shouldn't there be a dass (that) after flüstern?
You could absolutely use dass here: Die Leute flüstern, dass das Wohnheim nachts ganz leer sei. However, it is very common in German to drop dass in reported speech. When you drop it, the reported part acts like a normal main sentence, meaning the conjugated verb (sei) stays in the second position instead of being pushed to the very end.
Why is nachts lowercase and ending in an "s"?
Adding an "s" to the end of a time-of-day noun turns it into an adverb that describes a routine or habit. So, the noun die Nacht (the night) becomes the adverb nachts (at night / nights). Because it is now an adverb and no longer a noun, it starts with a lowercase letter.
Doesn't ganz usually mean "quite" or "fairly"?
Ganz is a bit of a chameleon word. Before a normal adjective, it often means "quite" (like ganz gut for "quite good"). However, when paired with an "absolute" state like leer (empty), voll (full), or kaputt (broken), its meaning shifts to "completely" or "totally".