Breakdown of Sei es Vormerkung oder Fernleihe: Die Bereitstellung wird bestätigt.
werden
to become
bestätigen
to confirm
die Vormerkung
the hold; reservation
die Fernleihe
the interlibrary loan
Questions & Answers about Sei es Vormerkung oder Fernleihe: Die Bereitstellung wird bestätigt.
What does Sei es Vormerkung oder Fernleihe mean as a whole?
It is an idiomatic structure meaning something like:
- Be it a reservation or an interlibrary loan
- Whether it is a hold request or an interlibrary loan
In other words, the sentence is saying that the following statement applies in either case.
So the pattern Sei es X oder Y is used to mean regardless of whether it is X or Y.
Why is it sei and not ist?
Sei is the Konjunktiv I form of sein.
Here, it is not being used for reported speech, but in a fixed, somewhat formal expression: Sei es ... oder ...
This structure is idiomatic and means be it ... or ... / whether it be ... or ....
So:
- Ist es Vormerkung oder Fernleihe would sound like a direct question: Is it a reservation or an interlibrary loan?
- Sei es Vormerkung oder Fernleihe is not a question. It introduces alternatives in a formal, set phrase.
Is Sei es ... oder ... common in everyday German?