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Dutch Verb Zeggen ('to Say') - Smartphones Page

Conjugation
Sample Sentences

'Zeggen' - Conjugation

'Zeggen' click to hear 2 3 'to say' is a strong verb:
zeggen
to say
- zei
said
- gezegd
said
click to hear

'Zeggen' has an unusual change from a vowel to a diphthong in the past tense and an also unusual added D in the plural of the past tense. It's somewhat like the English.

overview
zeggen to say
ik zeg I say
wij zeggen we say
ik zei I said
wij zeiden we said
ik heb gezegd I have said
click to hear

simple present tense
zeggen to say
ik zeg I say
jij zegt you say (singular, informal you)
hij zegt he says
wij zeggen we say
jullie zeggen you say (plural, informal you)
zij zeggen they say
U zegt you say (polite you)
click to hear

simple past tense
(zeggen) to say
ik zei I said
jij zei you said
hij zei he said
wij zeiden we said
jullie zeiden y'all said
zij zeiden they said
U zei you said
click to hear

present perfect tense
ik heb gezegd click to hear 2 I have said
auxiliary verb hebben

'Zeggen' - Sample Sentences

In the examples, you'll come across Dutch 'je' click to hear and 'jij' click to hear (both informal 'you') and 'U' click to hear (formal, polite 'you')

Wat zeg je? click to hear 2 3 'What [do] did you say?' (Dutch often uses the present tense) Wat zegt U? click to hear 2 3 'What [do] did you say?' Wat zei je? click to hear 2 3 What did you say? Come again? Zeg 't nog eens click to hear 2 3 (Could you please) say it again? Come again? Kunt U dat nog eens zeggen? click to hear Could you please say that again? Zou U dat nog eens willen zeggen? click to hear 2 Would you mind [saying that once again] repeating that?

Wat zeg jij d'rvan? click to hear 2 3 What do you say about it? What's your opinion on it? Wat zegt U d'rvan? click to hear 2 3 4 What do you say about it? What's your opinion on it? After a vowel, it's easier to say  "d'r" than  "er" -
Wat zegt U ervan? click to hear 2 What do you say about it? What's your opinion on it?

Zeg je echt wat je vindt? click to hear 2 3 4 5 Do you really say what you're thinking?

Zoals ik al zei click to hear 2 3 ['As I already said'] Like I said before Zoals ik zei click to hear Like I said Al zeg ik 't zelf click to hear 2 3 [Even if I say so myself] - If I may say so Omdat ik het zeg click to hear 2 3 4 Because I say [it] so (an authoritarian statement)

Zoals je 't zegt? click to hear 2 3 Like you say it? (Asking if a name is written phonetically, according to the spelling rules)

Had ik dat al gezegd? click to hear 2 Did I say, mention that already?

Ik zei "nee" click to hear 'I said "no"' Hij zei heel zachtjes 'ja' click to hear 2 3 4 5 He said 'yes' very softly

Dàt had ik moeten zeggen click to hear 2 3 That's what I should have said (the right phrase didn't come to mind in the stress of the moment - l'esprit de l'escalier) Dat had ik niet moeten zeggen click to hear 2 I shouldn't have said that (It was wrong, it was a mistake)

Hij zei niet veel click to hear He didn't say much

Ik, zei de gek click to hear 2 3 Me, the crazy man said (self-depreciating)

Zeg nooit nooit click to hear 2 3 Never say never Zeg het voort click to hear 2 ['Say it forth'] - Pass it on (the message) Zegt het voort click to hear 2 ['Say it forth'] - Pass it on (the message) - a rare plural imperative

Zeg eens wat click to hear Say something, do say something Zeg maar wat je zou willen hebben van Sinterklaas click to hear 2 [Just Say] Tell me what you would like to have (get, receive) from Sinterklaas ('Santa') Zeg 't maar click to hear 2 3 [Just say it] You can say it, Feel free to speak up

Hij zegt maar wat click to hear 2 3 4 He just says something, he doesn't know what he's talking about, he hasn't thought about it

Zeg dat wel! click to hear 2 3 You can [surely] say that! (That statement is absolutely correct - and obvious) Wat ik je zeg! click to hear 2 It's like I say, Absolutely! (I'm right)

Wie 't weet mag 't zeggen click to hear 2 He/she who knows it may say it (it may mean 'it's anybody's guess') Onder ons gezegd en gezwegen ... click to hear 2 [Said and silent between us] - Just between you and me ...

Hoe zeg je dat in het Nederlands? click to hear 2 How do you say that in Dutch? Weet jij hoe je 't moet zeggen? click to hear Do you know how to say it? Hoe zeg je dat precies? click to hear 2 How exactly do you say that? What is the precise wording? Dat zeg je niet zo click to hear 2 3 You don't say (that) it that way

't Is niet fout ... click to hear 2 It's not wrong ... ... maar je kunt 't eenvoudiger zeggen click to hear 2 3 ... but [you can say it more simply] there's a simpler way to say it

Zeg het in je eigen woorden click to hear 2 Say it in your own words

In het Nederlands zeggen we 'gezondheid!' als iemand niest click to hear In Dutch we say 'gezondheid!' when somebody sneezes
(de) gezondheid click to hear health
Gezondheid! click to hear Bless you!

Als Nederlander zou ik zeggen: 'Ja.' click to hear As a Dutchman I would say: "Yes!"

Zeg dat het niet zo is click to hear Say it ain't so

Dat zei ik toch! click to hear 2 3 4 5 That's what I said (but you weren't listening) - told you so

Er zijn mensen die zeggen dat ... click to hear 2 [There are people who say ...] Some people say that ... Veel mensen zeggen dat ... click to hear Many people say that ... Veel mensen zeggen dat. click to hear Many people say that.

Wie zegt dat 't gaat regenen? click to hear Who says that it's going to rain? Wat zegt het weerbericht? click to hear 2 What does the weather report say? Het weerbericht zegt dat het morgen gaat regenen click to hear The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow

Ze zeggen dat er niet genoeg tijd is click to hear They say there's not enough time Hij zegt dat 't morgen klaar is. click to hear He says it'll be ready tomorrow Hij zei dat ik het aan Jan moest geven click to hear 2 3 He said [that I should] to give it to Jan

Ik versta niet wat je zegt. click to hear 2 I don't understand (can't hear) what you're saying Ik begrijp niet wat U zegt click to hear I don't understand (the meaning of) what you're saying

Dat boek zegt dat hij dat gedaan heeft click to hear 2 3 'That book says that he [has done] did that'

Goropius zegt dat Adam en Eva Nederlands spraken. click to hear 2 Goropius says that Adam and Eve spoke Dutch.

M'n vrouw zegt dat het alleen windstil is als je wil(t) vliegeren click to hear My wife says the only time there's no wind is when you'd like to fly a kite
't Is alleen windstil als je wilt vliegeren click to hear 2 3 The only time there's no wind is when you'd like to fly a kite
M'n vrouw zegt dat de bal niet in het doel wordt geschopt maar geschoten click to hear My wife says the ball is not 'kicked' into the goal but 'shot'

Men zegt dat ... click to hear ['People say that ...'] - usually translated as: 'it is said that ...'
Men zegt dat in Kentucky het gras blauw is click to hear 2 'It is said that in Kentucky the grass is blue' Men zegt dat het gras blauw is in Kentucky click to hear 'It is said that the grass is blue in Kentucky'

Wat heb je daarop te zeggen? click to hear 2 What do you say about that? What's your reaction to that?

Daar kun je donder op zeggen! click to hear 2 3 It will be like that, Absolutely! (That statement is absolutely correct)

Er wordt al zoveel gezegd click to hear 2 So much is being said already Er is al zoveel gezegd click to hear 2 So much has been said already ->>

Kunt U mij zeggen wanneer de laatste trein gaat? click to hear 2 3 4 Could you please tell me [when] what time the last train [goes] leaves? Kun je me zeggen hoe laat het begint? click to hear 2 3 Can you tell me what time it starts?

Alles wat je zegt click to hear 2 3 Everything (anything) you say

Waarom zegt niemand dat? click to hear 2 3 [Why is nobody saying that?] - Why doesn't anybody say that? Waarom zegt niemand wat? click to hear [Why does nobody say something?] - Why doesn't anybody say something? Why doesn't anybody protest or criticize? Waarom zegt niemand er iets van? click to hear 2 3 [Why does nobody say something about it?] - Why doesn't anybody protest?

Hij durfde niks te zeggen click to hear 2 3 [He dared to say nothing] - He didn't dare to say anything, he was afraid to speak up

Zeg je nog even dag tegen Jan? click to hear 2 Will you take a moment to say goodbye to Jan? Don't forget to say goodbye to Jan

Zeg maar niks tegen Piet click to hear 2 3 4 Please [say nothing] don't say anything about it to Piet Zeg 't maar niet tegen Piet click to hear 2 Please don't [say] mention it to Piet

Zeg er maar niks van click to hear 2 3 Don't mention it, better [say nothing] don't say anything about it

Je hoeft geen 'U' te zeggen click to hear 2 3 4 You don't have to say 'U' (the polite address) Je mag wel 'je' zeggen click to hear 2 It's OK to say 'je' now (the informal address) tutoyeren (from French) click to hear 2 3 / jijen en jouwen click to hear 'address each other with the informal 'jij,' 'je' and 'jou,' - 'being on a first-name basis'

't Is moeilijk te zeggen click to hear 2 [It's difficult to say] - I can't be sure if what I'm saying is correct

Er is wat voor te zeggen click to hear 2 3 Something can be said in favor of it, a case could be made for it Daar is wat voor te zeggen click to hear 2 3 Something can be said in favor of that, a case could be made for that

Dat laat ik me niet zeggen! click to hear 2 3 [I don't allow that to be said about me] - You can't say that to me (about me)

Zeggen wat je denkt click to hear 2 3 Saying what you're thinking, voicing your opinions - speaking your mind Hij neemt geen blad voor de mond click to hear 2 3 ['He doesn't put a leaf in front of his mouth'] He speaks his mind freely, doesn't mince his words Ze is niet op haar mondje gevallen click to hear 2 3 ['She didn't fall on her mouth'] Hij is niet op z'n mondje gevallen click to hear 2 3 4 ['He didn't fall on his mouth']
They never hesitate to speak up, they're not shy to speak their mind (It's more commonly said about females than about males)

't Zegt me niks click to hear 2 [It doesn't [say] speak to me] It doesn't appeal to me /or/ it's meaningless to me (de) zeggingskracht click to hear 2 3 4 [power of expression, expressiveness] - emotional impact

Ik heb de reis moeten afzeggen click to hear 2 3 I've had to cancel te trip

Zeg 't op click to hear 2 3 4 1. Cancel your subscription
2. Recite it (a poem, for instance)

Looking at text, 'What is written there?' is
"Wat er staat" click to hear 2 3 ['what stands there'] - in English usually: 'What it says.'
staan click to hear 'to stand' ‑>>
Begrijp je echt wat er staat? click to hear 2 Do you really understand what it says? Wat op 't pak staat click to hear 2 What it says on the (package) box 't Staat in de Bijbel click to hear 2 It says so in the Bible

(het) gezegde click to hear 'saying, standard phrase, idiom' - but also a grammar term, 'the predicate,' what is said in a sentence about the subject - hear Dutch grammar words for 'the verbs in a sentence'
(de) waarzegster click to hear 2 ["truth teller"] - (female) fortune teller, psychic ->>

Zeggen
to say
- Spreken
to speak
- Praten
to talk, chat
Vertellen
'to tell'
- Schrijven
to write
- Lezen
to read

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Gij zult niet stelen click to hear 'Thou shalt not steal'