TOP |
Conjugation | |
Sample Sentences |
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zeggen to say |
- | zei said |
- | gezegd said |
'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 | ||
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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 | |
simple past tense | ||
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(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 | |
present perfect tense | |
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ik heb gezegd 2 | I have said |
Wat zeg je? 2 3 'What [do] did you say?' (Dutch often uses the present tense) Wat zegt U? 2 3 'What [do] did you say?' Wat zei je? 2 3 What did you say? Come again? Zeg 't nog eens 2 3 (Could you please) say it again? Come again? Kunt U dat nog eens zeggen? Could you please say that again? Zou U dat nog eens willen zeggen? 2 Would you mind [saying that once again] repeating that?
Wat zeg jij d'rvan?
2
3
What do you say about it?
What's your opinion on it?
Wat zegt U d'rvan?
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?
2
What do you say about it?
What's your opinion on it?
Zeg je echt wat je vindt? 2 3 4 5 Do you really say what you're thinking?
Zoals ik al zei 2 3 ['As I already said'] Like I said before Zoals ik zei Like I said Al zeg ik 't zelf 2 3 [Even if I say so myself] - If I may say so Omdat ik het zeg 2 3 4 Because I say [it] so (an authoritarian statement)
Had ik dat al gezegd? 2 Did I say, mention that already?
Ik zei "nee" 'I said "no"' Hij zei heel zachtjes 'ja' 2 3 4 5 He said 'yes' very softly
Dàt had ik moeten zeggen 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 2 I shouldn't have said that (It was wrong, it was a mistake)
Hij zei niet veel He didn't say much
Ik, zei de gek 2 3 Me, the crazy man said (self-depreciating)
Zeg nooit nooit 2 3 Never say never Zeg het voort 2 ['Say it forth'] - Pass it on (the message) Zegt het voort 2 ['Say it forth'] - Pass it on (the message) - a rare plural imperative
Zeg eens wat Say something, do say something Zeg maar wat je zou willen hebben van Sinterklaas 2 [Just Say] Tell me what you would like to have (get, receive) from Sinterklaas ('Santa') Zeg 't maar 2 3 [Just say it] You can say it, Feel free to speak up
Hij zegt maar wat 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! 2 3 You can [surely] say that! (That statement is absolutely correct - and obvious) Wat ik je zeg! 2 It's like I say, Absolutely! (I'm right)
Wie 't weet mag 't zeggen 2 He/she who knows it may say it (it may mean 'it's anybody's guess') Onder ons gezegd en gezwegen ... 2 [Said and silent between us] - Just between you and me ...
Hoe zeg je dat in het Nederlands? 2 How do you say that in Dutch? Weet jij hoe je 't moet zeggen? Do you know how to say it? Hoe zeg je dat precies? 2 How exactly do you say that? What is the precise wording? Dat zeg je niet zo 2 3 You don't say (that) it that way
't Is niet fout ... 2 It's not wrong ... ... maar je kunt 't eenvoudiger zeggen 2 3 ... but [you can say it more simply] there's a simpler way to say it
Zeg het in je eigen woorden 2 Say it in your own words
In het Nederlands
zeggen we 'gezondheid!' als
iemand niest
In Dutch we say 'gezondheid!'
when somebody sneezes
(de) gezondheid
health
Gezondheid!
Bless you!
Als Nederlander zou ik zeggen: 'Ja.' As a Dutchman I would say: "Yes!"
Zeg dat het niet zo is Say it ain't so
Dat zei ik toch! 2 3 4 5 That's what I said (but you weren't listening) - told you so
Er zijn mensen die zeggen dat ... 2 [There are people who say ...] Some people say that ... Veel mensen zeggen dat ... Many people say that ... Veel mensen zeggen dat. Many people say that.
Wie zegt dat 't gaat regenen? Who says that it's going to rain? Wat zegt het weerbericht? 2 What does the weather report say? Het weerbericht zegt dat het morgen gaat regenen The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow
Ze zeggen dat er niet genoeg tijd is They say there's not enough time Hij zegt dat 't morgen klaar is. He says it'll be ready tomorrow Hij zei dat ik het aan Jan moest geven 2 3 He said [that I should] to give it to Jan
Ik versta niet wat je zegt. 2 I don't understand (can't hear) what you're saying Ik begrijp niet wat U zegt I don't understand (the meaning of) what you're saying
Dat boek zegt dat hij dat gedaan heeft 2 3 'That book says that he [has done] did that'
Goropius zegt dat Adam en Eva Nederlands spraken. 2 Goropius says that Adam and Eve spoke Dutch.
M'n vrouw zegt
dat het alleen windstil
is als je wil(t) vliegeren
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
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
My wife says the ball is not 'kicked' into the goal
but 'shot'
Men zegt dat ...
['People say that ...']
- usually translated as: 'it is said that ...'
Men zegt dat in Kentucky het gras blauw is
2
'It is said that in Kentucky
the grass is blue'
Men zegt dat het gras blauw is in Kentucky
'It is said that
the grass is blue in Kentucky'
Wat heb je daarop te zeggen? 2 What do you say about that? What's your reaction to that?
Daar kun je donder op zeggen! 2 3 It will be like that, Absolutely! (That statement is absolutely correct)
Er wordt al zoveel gezegd 2 So much is being said already Er is al zoveel gezegd 2 So much has been said already ->>
Kunt U mij zeggen wanneer de laatste trein gaat? 2 3 4 Could you please tell me [when] what time the last train [goes] leaves? Kun je me zeggen hoe laat het begint? 2 3 Can you tell me what time it starts?
Alles wat je zegt 2 3 Everything (anything) you say
Waarom zegt niemand dat? 2 3 [Why is nobody saying that?] - Why doesn't anybody say that? Waarom zegt niemand wat? [Why does nobody say something?] - Why doesn't anybody say something? Why doesn't anybody protest or criticize? Waarom zegt niemand er iets van? 2 3 [Why does nobody say something about it?] - Why doesn't anybody protest?
Hij durfde niks te zeggen 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? 2 Will you take a moment to say goodbye to Jan? Don't forget to say goodbye to Jan
Zeg maar niks tegen Piet 2 3 4 Please [say nothing] don't say anything about it to Piet Zeg 't maar niet tegen Piet 2 Please don't [say] mention it to Piet
Zeg er maar niks van 2 3 Don't mention it, better [say nothing] don't say anything about it
Je hoeft geen 'U' te zeggen 2 3 4 You don't have to say 'U' (the polite address) Je mag wel 'je' zeggen 2 It's OK to say 'je' now (the informal address) tutoyeren (from French) 2 3 / jijen en jouwen 'address each other with the informal 'jij,' 'je' and 'jou,' - 'being on a first-name basis'
't Is moeilijk te zeggen 2 [It's difficult to say] - I can't be sure if what I'm saying is correct
Er is wat voor te zeggen 2 3 Something can be said in favor of it, a case could be made for it Daar is wat voor te zeggen 2 3 Something can be said in favor of that, a case could be made for that
Dat laat ik me niet zeggen! 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
2
3
Saying what you're thinking, voicing your opinions -
speaking your mind
Hij neemt geen blad voor de mond
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
2
3
['She didn't fall on her mouth']
Hij is niet op z'n mondje gevallen
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 2 [It doesn't [say] speak to me] It doesn't appeal to me /or/ it's meaningless to me (de) zeggingskracht 2 3 4 [power of expression, expressiveness] - emotional impact
Ik heb de reis moeten afzeggen 2 3 I've had to cancel te trip
Zeg 't op
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"
2
3
['what stands there'] -
in English usually: 'What it says.'
staan
'to stand'
‑>>
Begrijp je echt wat er staat?
2
Do you really understand what it says?
Wat op 't pak staat
2
What it says on the (package) box
't Staat in de Bijbel
2
It says so in the Bible
(het) gezegde '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
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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