My First Encounter with German Democracy: Relative Clauses and Reported Speech

Okay, so here I am, six months in Berlin, and let’s be honest, German has been…a challenge. I moved here for a job in marketing, and while the work is fantastic, navigating daily life – especially when it comes to understanding what’s going on politically – feels like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube with oven mitts on. I’m determined to get better, not just for work, but to really feel like I’m a part of things. And that started with understanding how Germans talk about their democracy, particularly around elections.

The Wahlkampf – And the Confusion

Last week, I went to a local Wahlkampf meeting – a campaign event – for a candidate running in my district. It was really interesting, a lot of people talking about the issues, and the candidate, Herr Schmidt, was making a speech. I was trying to follow along, but the way people were talking, using relative clauses and reported speech, completely threw me.

Let’s say I overheard this exchange:

“ Der Kandidat hat gesagt, dass er die Bildung verbessern wird, wenn er gewählt wird. ” (The candidate said that he will improve education if he is elected.)

I stared at it, utterly baffled. What did ” dass ” even mean? I asked a colleague, Klaus, who’s a really patient and helpful guy, “Klaus, what does ‘dass’ do here?”

He smiled and explained, “ Dass connects the main clause – ‘Der Kandidat hat gesagt’ – to the subordinate clause – ‘dass er die Bildung verbessern wird.’ It basically means ‘that’ or ‘when’ in this case. It’s how you report what someone said.”

It still felt weird, like I was reading a book, not having a normal conversation.

Relative Clauses – Adding Details

Relative clauses are everywhere in German, and they’re used to add extra information about people, places, or things. I noticed them a lot in news articles and conversations.

For example, I was reading an article about the upcoming elections and saw this:

“ Die Partei, die für mehr soziale Gerechtigkeit eintritt, hat eine neue Kampagne gestartet. ” (The party that advocates for more social justice has launched a new campaign.)

“ Die Partei” is the main part of the sentence, and ” die für mehr soziale Gerechtigkeit eintritt” is the relative clause. It’s telling us which party we’re talking about. It’s like saying “the party that believes in social justice.”

I started trying to use them myself (badly, at first!). I told my flatmate, Sarah, about my election research: “Ich habe gelesen, dass die SPD die grösste Partei ist, die sich für Arbeit einsetzt.” (I read that the SPD is the largest party that is committed to work.) Sarah, thankfully, corrected me patiently, explaining that I needed to use “ weil ” (because) to connect the clauses properly. It felt so silly!

Reported Speech – Echoes of the Past (and the Present)

This is where things really got complicated. Reported speech is when you’re talking about something someone else said, and it’s shifted back in time.

I was discussing the latest poll results with another colleague, Markus, and he said: “Herr Müller hat gesagt, dass er die Inflation bekämpfen wird.” (Mr. Müller said that he will fight inflation.)

I immediately thought, “Wait, when did he say that? Was that before the last election? It feels like a different conversation!” That’s the essence of reported speech.

The key is using the past perfect tense ( hätte – would have) and the past tense ( gesagt – said) to create the effect of reporting a statement made in the past.

I struggled with this massively, especially with the correct verb conjugations. Markus helped me immensely. He showed me how to use er/sie/es sagte (he/she/it said) and how to adjust the tense accordingly. It’s still something I stumble over, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

Practical Applications – Asking About Voting

I needed to actually use this knowledge. I went to a local café and asked the barista, Lena, when and where to vote.

“ Wann muss ich wählen? Und wo ist die Wahllokale?” (When do I have to vote? And where is the polling station?)

Lena responded: “Sie müssen am 9. September wählen, und Ihr Wahllokal ist die Grundschule am Schillerplatz.” (You must vote on September 9th, and your polling station is the elementary school on Schillerplatz.)

I realized that Lena was reporting information about my voting obligations. The Sie (you) at the beginning of the sentence made it clear that she was talking to me, not about me.

Mistakes & Corrections – Learning Through Errors

Let me tell you, I made loads of mistakes. I tried to say, “Ich habe gesagt, dass ich mich für die Grünen interessiere.” (I said that I am interested in the Greens.) But Markus corrected me gently. “No, no. You need to use er/sie/es sagte – Er sagte, dass er sich für die Grünen interessiert.” (He said that he is interested in the Greens.)

These little errors are actually incredibly helpful. They’re a sign that I’m actively trying to understand and apply the grammar. It’s frustrating, definitely, but I’m learning.

Moving Forward – Small Steps, Big Progress

I’m still a long way from fluency, but this initial foray into German democracy through relative clauses and reported speech has been invaluable. I’m starting to notice these grammatical structures everywhere, and I’m slowly building the confidence to use them myself. I’m planning to keep practicing with Klaus, Markus, and Sarah – and with everyone else who’s patient enough to explain things to me. Hopefully, soon, I’ll be able to fully understand the debates and conversations around elections, and maybe even contribute to them myself! Viel Glück! (Good luck!)