Breakdown of Die Krankmeldung ist heute noch per E‑Mail zu schicken, sonst fehlt sie morgen im System.
Questions & Answers about Die Krankmeldung ist heute noch per E‑Mail zu schicken, sonst fehlt sie morgen im System.
Krankmeldung usually means a sick note, notice of sickness, or report that someone is off sick, depending on context.
In a workplace context like this, it often refers to the document or notification that tells the employer someone is ill. In some situations, it can specifically mean the doctor’s certificate; in others, it can mean the act of reporting sick more generally.
Here, because it says per E-Mail zu schicken and im System, it most likely refers to the sick note / sickness notification that has to be sent in.
Because Krankmeldung is a feminine noun in German.
So:
- die Krankmeldung = the sick note / sickness report
- later, the pronoun referring back to it is sie = it
This is a very common feature of German: pronouns match the grammatical gender of the noun, not the natural gender.
So even though English says it, German says:
- masculine noun → er
- feminine noun → sie
- neuter noun → es
This is the structure sein + zu + infinitive.
Here:
- ist ... zu schicken literally means something like is to be sent
- more natural English: needs to be sent or has to be sent
So:
- Die Krankmeldung ist heute noch per E-Mail zu schicken. = The sick note needs to be sent by email today.
This structure often expresses necessity or what is supposed to be done.
A close alternative would be:
- Die Krankmeldung muss heute noch per E-Mail geschickt werden.
That means almost the same thing.
Both are possible, but they sound slightly different in style.
- ist zu schicken sounds a bit more formal, bureaucratic, or instruction-like
- muss geschickt werden is often more direct and everyday
So:
Die Krankmeldung ist heute noch per E-Mail zu schicken. = somewhat formal, like office or administrative language
Die Krankmeldung muss heute noch per E-Mail geschickt werden. = also correct, a bit more straightforward
German often uses sein + zu + infinitive in official, written, or business contexts.
heute noch means still today, before today is over, or simply today, before it’s too late.
The word noch here adds the idea of:
- there is still time
- it should happen before the end of today
So it is stronger than just heute.
Compare:
- heute = today
- heute noch = today while there is still time / later today but definitely before the day ends
In this sentence, it implies some urgency:
- send it today, not tomorrow.
per is a common preposition-like word in German meaning by, via, or through the medium of.
So:
- per E-Mail = by email
- per Post = by post
- per Fax = by fax
It is a fixed and very common expression. A learner might expect mit E-Mail, but that is not the natural way to say it here.
So:
- per E-Mail schicken = send by email
Because in the structure sein + zu + infinitive, the infinitive usually goes to the end of the clause.
The clause is built like this:
- Die Krankmeldung = subject
- ist = finite verb
- heute noch per E-Mail = other information
- zu schicken = infinitive phrase at the end
German often sends infinitives and participles to the end of the clause.
That is why you get:
- ist ... zu schicken not
- ist zu schicken ... in a more English-like position
Because German very often uses the present tense to talk about the future when the time is clear from context.
Here, morgen already tells you the time is in the future, so fehlt is completely natural.
So:
- sonst fehlt sie morgen im System = otherwise it will be missing from the system tomorrow
German does this all the time:
- Ich komme morgen. = I’m coming tomorrow.
- Nächste Woche beginnt der Kurs. = The course starts next week.
You do not always need a special future form like wird fehlen.
Because in a normal German main clause, the finite verb must be in second position.
Here, sonst takes the first position, so the verb comes immediately after it:
- Sonst fehlt sie morgen im System.
Structure:
- sonst = position 1
- fehlt = position 2
- sie = then comes after the verb
This is the usual German word order rule known as verb-second.
So once sonst starts the clause, you must say:
- sonst fehlt sie ...
not:
- sonst sie fehlt ...
Here, sonst means otherwise.
So the sentence is giving a consequence:
- Die Krankmeldung ist heute noch per E-Mail zu schicken, sonst fehlt sie morgen im System. = The sick note needs to be sent by email today, otherwise it will be missing from the system tomorrow.
It connects the instruction with the negative result if the instruction is not followed.
im System is short for in dem System, meaning in the system.
In office or workplace German, this usually means:
- in the company’s records
- in the computer system
- in the HR or administrative database
So fehlt sie morgen im System means that tomorrow the sick note will not appear in the records or will not be registered in the system.
It is not a normal werden-passive like:
- Die Krankmeldung wird geschickt.
But it does have a passive-like meaning because the focus is on what needs to happen to the Krankmeldung, not on who sends it.
That is typical of sein + zu + infinitive:
- it often feels similar to to be + past participle in English
- it leaves the doer unspecified
So in meaning, it is close to:
- The sick note has to be sent rather than
- Someone sends the sick note
It sounds fairly formal and workplace-oriented.
Especially these parts make it sound formal:
- Krankmeldung
- ist ... zu schicken
- im System
A more conversational version might be something like:
- Die Krankmeldung musst du heute noch per E-Mail schicken, sonst ist sie morgen nicht im System.
That said, the original sentence is completely natural in a business or administrative setting.