Word
Die Forscher sollen das Wrack endlich gefunden haben.
Meaning
The researchers are said to have finally found the wreck.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Die Forscher sollen das Wrack endlich gefunden haben.
haben
to have
finden
to find
sollen
should / ought to
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
Questions & Answers about Die Forscher sollen das Wrack endlich gefunden haben.
Why does sollen translate to "are said to" here rather than "should"?
This is the subjective use of sollen. In German, modal verbs aren't just for obligation or ability; they can also express how true a statement is. Using sollen shows that the speaker is reporting a rumor or hearsay, meaning "are said to" or "are supposed to", rather than giving advice.
How do we form the past tense for this hearsay construction with gefunden haben?
To show that the rumored event already happened, you use the Perfekt Infinitive (past infinitive). You form this by taking the past participle of the main verb (gefunden) and adding its helping verb in its infinitive form (haben or sein). It translates literally as "to have found".
Why is the helper verb haben placed after gefunden at the very end of the sentence?
In a standard German main clause, the conjugated verb (sollen) takes position two. This pushes any remaining verbs to the end of the sentence. When you have a past infinitive at the end, the helping verb (haben) always comes right after the past participle (gefunden).
Could this sentence also mean "The researchers were supposed to find the wreck"?