sagen means "to say" and is used for expressing what someone has said.
- Core usage: to report speech, give statements, express opinions.
- Regular verb: werden konjugiert like other -en verbs (ich sage, du sagst...).
- Common in both written and spoken German.
*sagen* means "to say."
*sagen* is used for reporting speech and expressing opinions.
Conjugation: Present Tense
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | sage |
| du | sagst |
| er/sie/es | sagt |
| wir | sagen |
| ihr | sagt |
| sie/Sie | sagen |
sagen is regular: stem is sag-, add typical endings (-e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en).
The stem for *sagen* is 'sag-'.
'They say' is 'sie sagen.'
Usage in Sentences
- Er sagt die Wahrheit.
He says the truth.
- Was sagst du dazu?
What do you say about that?
- Wir sagen, dass es gut ist.
We say that it is good.
Past Tense (Perfekt)
sagen → hat gesagt (with haben)
- Ich habe es gesagt.
I have said it.
- Sie haben nichts gesagt.
They have said nothing.
The past participle of *sagen* is 'gesagt'.
Related Forms
- Aussage (die) – statement
- Aussagesatz (der) – declarative sentence
- Ansage (die) – announcement
Aussage and Ansage are correct related nouns.
Conclusion
sagen is a key verb for expressing spoken words, used in many essential contexts.
- Regular conjugation makes it easy to learn.
- Knowing sagen is crucial for mastering reported speech in German.
*sagen* is a regular verb.
The correct forms are ich sage, du sagst, er sagt.
'We say' is 'Wir sagen.'