German · Everyday Verbs
"to say" in German: sagen
sagen
To say in German is sagen. Everyday forms are ich sage, du sagst, er sagt. Past often uses gesagt: Was hast du gesagt?
Repeating news
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How to pronounce sagen
Say it
ZAH-gen
/ˈzaːɡn̩/
ZAH-gen. Soft s like z, long a, -gen light. Stress on Sa-.
"to say" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| sagen | to say Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| ich sage / du sagst / er sagt | I/you/he say(s) Present forms. | Present forms. |
| gesagt | said Past participle. | Past participle. |
| Was sagst du? | What do you say? Common question. | Common question. |
How to use sagen in real life
- 1Repeating news
Was sagt sie genau dazu?
What exactly does she say about that?
Sagt is the er/sie form.
- 2Advice
Ich sage dir ehrlich: warte noch.
I'll tell you honestly: wait a bit.
Ich sage.
- 3Surprise
Du sagst das so ruhig!
You say that so calmly!
Du sagst.
Mistakes English speakers make with sagen
Incorrect: Ich sagst das.
Correct: Ich sage das.
First person is sage, not sagst.
Incorrect: Er sage laut.
Correct: Er sagt laut.
Third person present is sagt.
Good to know
Sagen is the workhorse for speech. Erzähl covers longer storytelling. Soft fillers like Sag mal open friendly questions without sounding formal.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Clarifying a confusing message
ChatPal
Was sagst du zu dem Plan?
What do you say about the plan?
You
Ich sage ja, aber erst morgen.
I say yes, but only tomorrow.
ChatPal
Gut. Sag Bescheid, wenn sich etwas ändert.
Good. Say something if anything changes.
You
Mache ich. Ich sage dir sofort Bescheid.
I will. I'll let you know right away.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to say" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to say" in German
How do you conjugate sagen?
Ich sage, du sagst, er/sie sagt, wir sagen, ihr sagt, sie sagen.
What is the past participle?
Gesagt—Was hast du gesagt?
Sagen vs erzählen?
Sagen is say; erzählen is tell/narrate a story.
How do you say say hello?
Sag hallo! / Grüß…
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