Meaning
The verb sagen in German means to say or to tell. It is commonly used to report speech or express something verbally.
Usage
Sagen is used when conveying what someone says or tells. It often appears with indirect speech and can be combined with objects to indicate whom something is told to.
Conjugation
Below is the conjugation of sagen in the present tense, simple past, and perfect tense:
| German Pronoun | Present Tense | English Present | Simple Past | English Simple Past | Perfect | English Perfect | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | sage | I say | sagte | I said | habe gesagt | I have said | Ich sage die Wahrheit. | I say the truth. |
| du | sagst | you say | sagtest | you said | hast gesagt | you have said | Du sagst, was du denkst. | You say what you think. |
| er/sie/es | sagt | he/she/it says | sagte | he/she/it said | hat gesagt | he/she/it has said | Er sagt, dass er kommt. | He says that he is coming. |
| wir | sagen | we say | sagten | we said | haben gesagt | we have said | Wir sagen die Antwort. | We say the answer. |
| ihr | sagt | you (plural) say | sagtet | you (plural) said | habt gesagt | you (plural) have said | Ihr sagt, dass es stimmt. | You say that it's true. |
| sie/Sie | sagen | they/you (formal) say | sagten | they/you (formal) said | haben gesagt | they/you (formal) have said | Sie sagen, dass sie müde sind. | They say that they are tired. |
Important Notes
Sagen is a regular verb and follows typical German verb conjugation patterns. When combined with zu plus an infinitive, it can mean "to tell someone to do something," e.g., Ich sage dir zu warten (I tell you to wait).
Example Sentences
- Er sagt immer die Wahrheit. – He always tells the truth.
- Kannst du mir sagen, wo der Bahnhof ist? – Can you tell me where the train station is?
- Wir haben ihm gesagt, dass wir morgen kommen. – We told him that we are coming tomorrow.
