You could read and listen to the examples first - 'immersion'

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

'Zeggen' - Conjugation

zeggen to say

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zei said

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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
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 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)

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

present perfect tense
ik heb gezegd 2	I have said

'Zeggen' - Sample Sentences

'je'

'jij'

'U'

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)

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

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 ->>

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