Before you start
Meet sagen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 4 meanings
- (transitive) to say (to pronounce; communicate verbally)
- (ditransitive) to tell (to inform (someone) verbally)
- (childish) to tell (to inform an authority)
- (ditransitive) to mean, to ring a bell (to convey meaning or be familiar to someone)
Forms
How sagen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | sage | sagte |
| du | sagst | sagtest |
| er/sie/es | sagt | sagte |
| wir | sagen | sagten |
| ihr | sagt | sagtet |
| Sie | sagen | sagten |
Partizip II gesagt · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Sie sagt immer Ja.She always says yes.saying yes
- 2Er hat mir seinen Namen gesagt.He told me his name.telling someone a name
- 3Was sagst du, wenn jemand Danke sagt?What do you say when someone says thank you?responding to thanks
Verb family
Separable verbs built on sagen
Add a prefix to sagen and the meaning changes.