Breakdown of Muss die Gästeliste heute geklärt sein?
sein
to be
heute
today
müssen
to have to, must
die Gästeliste
the guest list
klären
to clarify
Questions & Answers about Muss die Gästeliste heute geklärt sein?
Why use geklärt sein instead of geklärt werden here?
Using sein makes this a state passive (Zustandspassiv), focusing on the result: the speaker wants the list in a finished, finalized state today. If they used the action passive with werden (geklärt werden), it would emphasize the action of someone actively working on it today.
How does the state passive interact with the modal verb in this sentence?
The conjugated modal verb muss takes the first position to form a yes/no question. The state passive itself is formed by the past participle geklärt and the infinitive sein, which are grouped together at the very end of the sentence.
Why does sein come after geklärt at the end of the sentence?
In German sentences with a conjugated modal verb like muss, the remaining verbs go to the end. In a passive infinitive phrase, the past participle (geklärt) comes first, followed by the auxiliary verb in its infinitive form (sein).
What is the exact meaning of klären in this context?
klären generally means to clarify, resolve, or sort out. It is often used for resolving open questions, problems, or administrative details, which in this case means finalizing exactly who is on the guest list.
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