wie sagt man
The German phrase for "how do you say" is wie sagt man.
wie sagt man is a phrase used to ask for the translation or pronunciation of a word or expression.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "how says one", where man is the impersonal pronoun for "one" or a general "you".
Which one should you use?
Use Wie sagt man when you want to ask for a translation. If you specifically want to ask how to pronounce a word, use Wie spricht man … aus instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
When asking how to say something in a specific language, use the preposition auf followed by the language name. You will frequently use the word das (that/this) as the object of the sentence to refer to the specific word or phrase you are inquiring about.
Did you know?
- The word man in this phrase shares a common Proto-Germanic ancestor with the English word 'man'.
- When using wie sagt man to ask about a language, Germans use the preposition auf, which literally means 'on' or 'atop'.
- The pronoun man is used in wie sagt man to create a passive tone, similar to the English construction 'it is said'.
Examples in context
- Wie sagt man das?How do you say that?This sentence shows how to use the phrase to ask how to say 'that'.Tatoeba #761540 by Dejo, translation #759355 by vgigregg
- Wie sagt man das auf Russisch?How do you say that in Russian?This sentence demonstrates asking for a translation into Russian.Tatoeba #6321932 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5816226 by Fin
- Wie sagt man das auf Englisch?How do you say this in English?This sentence demonstrates asking for a translation into English.Tatoeba #9996822 by wolfgangth, translation #8677520 by alpucca
- Entschuldigen Sie bitte, wie sagt man "hello" auf Deutsch?Excuse me, how does one say "hello" in German?
- Ich habe das Wort vergessen, aber es bedeutet "freedom." Wie kann man das auf Deutsch sagen?I forgot the word, but it means "freedom." How can one say that in German?
- Hey, wie sagt man "delicious" in Deutsch?Hey, how do you say "delicious" in German?
- Julia, ich bin mir nicht sicher, wie man "tomorrow" auf Deutsch sagt. Wie würdest du das sagen?Julia, I'm not sure how to say "tomorrow" in German. How would you say it?
- Wie sagt man "thank you" auf Deutsch?How does one say "thank you" in German?
- Entschuldigen Sie, können Sie mir bitte sagen, wie man "beautiful" auf Deutsch sagt?Excuse me, could you please tell me how to say "beautiful" in German?
- Weißt du, wie man "I love you" auf Deutsch sagt?Do you know how to say "I love you" in German?
- Hey, wie würdest du "amazing" in Deutsch sagen?Hey, how would you say "amazing" in German?
- 54 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian is learning German and asks Julia for help with a word.
- MaximilianWie sagt man 'apple' auf Deutsch?How do you say 'apple' in German?
- JuliaDas sagt man 'Apfel'.You say that as 'Apfel'.
- MaximilianDanke, Julia!Thanks, Julia!
- JuliaGern geschehen, Maximilian.You're welcome, Maximilian.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries man, wie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
