Sagen Conjugation in German
sagen means “to say” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 11 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich sage die Wahrheit zu Marie.” — “I say the truth to Marie.” — and because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of sagen — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: sagen
- English: to say
- Verb type: Regular
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Present participle (Partizip I): sagend
- Past participle (Partizip II): gesagt
- Auxiliary: haben (all perfect tenses are formed with haben + the past participle)
- Pattern: weak in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sagen, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read sagen in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about sagen
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary weak pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use haben: the Perfekt is formed with haben in the present plus the past participle gesagt. The tables on this page give the participle in the form exactly as it appears in the verified dump; the participle itself does not change for person, only the auxiliary does.
- The participles are sagend and gesagt: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the present participle appears as an adjective and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for sagen. Learn the present tense first, then the Perfekt and the preterite, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present (Präsens)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | sage |
| du | sagst |
| er/sie/es | sagt |
| wir | sagen |
| ihr | sagt |
| sie/Sie | sagen |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Ich sage Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn.” — “I say good morning to my neighbours.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | sagte |
| du | sagtest |
| er/sie/es | sagte |
| wir | sagten |
| ihr | sagtet |
| sie/Sie | sagten |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. For example: “Du sagtest Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn.” — “You said good morning to my neighbours.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe gesagt |
| du | hast gesagt |
| er/sie/es | hat gesagt |
| wir | haben gesagt |
| ihr | habt gesagt |
| sie/Sie | haben gesagt |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn gesagt.” — “He has said good morning to my neighbours.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte gesagt |
| du | hattest gesagt |
| er/sie/es | hatte gesagt |
| wir | hatten gesagt |
| ihr | hattet gesagt |
| sie/Sie | hatten gesagt |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich hatte Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn gesagt.” — “I had said good morning to my neighbours.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde sagen |
| du | wirst sagen |
| er/sie/es | wird sagen |
| wir | werden sagen |
| ihr | werdet sagen |
| sie/Sie | werden sagen |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn sagen.” — “I will say good morning to my neighbours.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde gesagt haben |
| du | wirst gesagt haben |
| er/sie/es | wird gesagt haben |
| wir | werden gesagt haben |
| ihr | werdet gesagt haben |
| sie/Sie | werden gesagt haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn gesagt haben.” — “You will have said good morning to my neighbours.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | sage |
| du | sagest |
| er/sie/es | sage |
| wir | sagen |
| ihr | saget |
| sie/Sie | sagen |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er sage Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn.” — “He says good morning to my neighbours.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | sagte |
| du | sagtest |
| er/sie/es | sagte |
| wir | sagten |
| ihr | sagtet |
| sie/Sie | sagten |
Konjunktiv II is used for hypothetical situations, wishes and polite requests. It doubles as the German conditional: there is no separate conditional tense, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not an engine tense. For example: “Ich sagte Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn.” — “I would say good morning to my neighbours.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte gesagt |
| du | hättest gesagt |
| er/sie/es | hätte gesagt |
| wir | hätten gesagt |
| ihr | hättet gesagt |
| sie/Sie | hätten gesagt |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn gesagt.” — “He would have said good morning to my neighbours.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | sag |
| wir | sagen |
| ihr | sagt |
| sie/Sie | sagen |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. For example: “Sag Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn!” — “Say good morning to my neighbours!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | sagend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle sagend is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle (Partizip II)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Past participle (Partizip II) | gesagt |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe die Wahrheit zu Marie gesagt.” — “I have said the truth to Marie.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | sagen |
The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive. The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb: it is the form you look up, and the form that follows modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with sagen, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich sage die Wahrheit zu Marie.” — “I say the truth to Marie.”
- “Du sagtest Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn.” — “You said good morning to my neighbours.”
- “Er hat ein Wort zu meinem Bruder gesagt.” — “He has said a word to my brother.”
- “Ich werde die Wahrheit zu Marie sagen.” — “I will say the truth to Marie.”
- “Du sagtest Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn.” — “You would say good morning to my neighbours.”
- “Ich hatte ein Wort zu meinem Bruder gesagt.” — “I had said a word to my brother.”
- “Du wirst Guten Morgen zu meinen Nachbarn gesagt haben.” — “You will have said good morning to my neighbours.”
- “Er sage ein Wort zu meinem Bruder.” — “He says a word to my brother.”
- “Ich hätte die Wahrheit zu Marie gesagt.” — “I would have said the truth to Marie.”
- “Sag die Wahrheit zu Marie!” — “Say the truth to Marie!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich sagen die Wahrheit zu Marie.”
✓ Right: “Ich sage die Wahrheit zu Marie.”
The infinitive sagen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form sage.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich sagen die Wahrheit zu Marie.”
✓ Right: “Ich sage die Wahrheit zu Marie.”
sagen is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with sage.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich sage die Wahrheit zu Marie gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe die Wahrheit zu Marie gesagt.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe gesagt, not the present.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin die Wahrheit zu Marie gesagt.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe die Wahrheit zu Marie gesagt.”
The Perfekt of sagen is formed with haben plus the past participle gesagt: the ich form is habe gesagt. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the preterite where spoken German prefers the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich sagte die Wahrheit zu Marie gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich habe die Wahrheit zu Marie gesagt.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe gesagt is the usual past tense. The preterite sagte is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Using the du form when talking to a group
✗ Wrong: “Sag die Wahrheit zu Marie!” (said to several people)
✓ Right: “Sagt die Wahrheit zu Marie!”
The du imperative sag is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form sagt.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on sagen. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of sagen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) sage
- B) sagst
- C) sagt
- D) sagen
What is the er/sie/es form of sagen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) sagte
- B) sagtest
- C) sagten
- D) sagtet
What is the er/sie/es form of sagen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) hat gesagt
- B) habe gesagt
- C) hast gesagt
- D) haben gesagt
What is the du form of sagen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) werden sagen
- B) wirst sagen
- C) werde sagen
- D) wird sagen
What is the ich form of sagen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) sagte
- B) sagtest
- C) sagten
- D) sagtet
What is the wir form of sagen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hattet gesagt
- B) hatten gesagt
- C) hatte gesagt
- D) hattest gesagt
What is the er/sie/es form of sagen in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) sage
- B) sagest
- C) sagen
- D) saget
What is the du form of sagen in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) sagst
- B) sag
- C) sagen
- D) sagt
What is the past participle of sagen?
- A) gesehen
- B) gesagt
- C) gemacht
- D) gegeben
What does sagen mean in English?
- A) to say
- B) to make, to do
- C) to give
- D) to see
Answer key
- A) sage — the ich form of sagen in the Present (Präsens) is sage. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) sagte — the er/sie/es form of sagen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is sagte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) hat gesagt — the er/sie/es form of sagen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat gesagt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) wirst sagen — the du form of sagen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst sagen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) sagte — the ich form of sagen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is sagte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) hatten gesagt — the wir form of sagen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten gesagt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) sage — the er/sie/es form of sagen in the Konjunktiv I is sage. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) sag — the du form of sagen in the Imperative (Imperativ) is sag. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) gesagt — the past participle of sagen is gesagt; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- A) to say — sagen means “to say” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does sagen mean in English?
sagen means “to say”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is sagen regular or irregular?
sagen is regular: it follows the ordinary weak pattern in every tense. The present participle is sagend and the past participle is gesagt.
What are the participles of sagen?
The present participle (Partizip I) is sagend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is gesagt — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe gesagt.
Which auxiliary does sagen take in the Perfekt?
sagen takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe gesagt. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle gesagt.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form sagte is the form you use for “would” meanings, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not a separate engine tense. The conditional perfect hätte gesagt covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I say the truth to Marie” in German?
Say “Ich sage die Wahrheit zu Marie.” — “I say the truth to Marie.” The ich form of the present is sage, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sagen — every tense of sagen in one place.
- Sagen in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Sagen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Machen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Geben conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Sehen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise sagen with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise sagen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise sagen with the interactive tool.