werden würden

English translation: are

10:35 Oct 22, 2009
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Linguistics
German term or phrase: werden würden
From a dissertation on the Thueringer dialect and its contemporary social significance:
Alle fünf Probanden führten neben „no“ auch „ge“ bzw. im Falle des Informanten .... die Langform „gelle“ an, wovon sie bei mir wiederum das Wissen um die Bedeutung voraussetzten. Während letztgenannter Proband lediglich aussagte, dass diese Wörter oft verwendet "werden würden", verstärkte Informant ... deren Bedeutung für den Erfurter Dialekt, in dem er aussagte, sie würden zum *Umgangton* gehören. Auch für Probandin ...erschienen diese beiden Wörtchen sehr signifikant für den Erfurter Dialekt.
Jon Fedler
Local time: 18:46
English translation:are
Explanation:
X claimed that these words are often used.
Subjunctive due to indirect/reported speech.
Selected response from:

Colin Rowe
Germany
Local time: 17:46
Grading comment
Thanks Colin - and to the many contributors
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +9are
Colin Rowe
Summary of reference entries provided
Tenses in reported speech
Melanie Nassar

  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
are


Explanation:
X claimed that these words are often used.
Subjunctive due to indirect/reported speech.

Colin Rowe
Germany
Local time: 17:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks Colin - and to the many contributors

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Monika Elisabeth Sieger
1 min
  -> Thanks!

agree  Helen Shiner
2 mins
  -> Thanks!

agree  Melanie Nassar: Actually, I prefer "were" often used as it is reported speech.//Since the verb "aussagte" is in the past tense, "were" is correct and what I would use, but "are" is certainly not incorrect, see reference, this box is too small.
9 mins
  -> Surely a slight difference between English and German here, oder? "He said they are commonly used.." (because they still are) "Er sagte, dass sie oft verwendet wären..." (obwohl sie es auch jetzt noch werden)

agree  Kerstin Green: I would say "are", but of course you have to make sure it is in line with the rest of your text.
47 mins
  -> Danke!

agree  Rolf Keiser
58 mins
  -> Danke!

agree  franglish
1 hr
  -> Danke!

agree  Julia Lipeles
1 hr
  -> Danke!

agree  Rebecca Garber
7 hrs
  -> Thanks!

agree  mistigri
21 hrs
  -> Thanks!
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Reference comments


43 mins
Reference: Tenses in reported speech

Reference information:
http://faculty.washington.edu/marynell/grammar/reprtdsp.html

If the reporting verb (the main verb of the sentences, e.g., said, is in the past, the verb in the noun clause will usually be in a past form.

*Exceptions:

* If the reported sentence deals with a fact or general truth, the present tense is "(can be)" retained. She said that the moon causes the tides.

I'm not a stickler for following pedantic grammar rules, but in this case, I still prefer "were". She asked where he lived. He said he lived in London. (and still does, or is this a US/UK thing? I am an American BTW)

Melanie Nassar
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
neutral  Helen Shiner: but it is würden and not wurden, so safe to presume that it is still the case .//Of course there are many occasions when that is true, but it would distort the meaning here to use the past tense. Reported speech need not shift the tense into the past.
1 hr
  -> I don't want to run this into the ground, but the point is that in reported speech, the tense is shifted to the past. In this case, however, because it is a general truth or fact, the present tense *can be* used. Both are correct. I simply prefer were.
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