Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| erzählen | /ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlən/ /ɛɐ̯ˈt͡seːlən/ |
| sagen | /zaːɡən/ /zaːɡŋ̩/ (Germany) |
| mitteilen | /ˈmɪtˌtaɪ̯lən/ |
The English verb 'tell' can be translated into German in several ways depending on whether you are conveying a specific fact, a long narrative or formal information.
Which one should you use?
Use sagen when you want to say or tell a specific fact or direct speech. Use erzählen when you are telling a story, a joke or a long sequence of events. Use mitteilen when you need to inform or communicate a decision or news in a formal sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word erzählt is the third-person singular present form of erzählen, meaning 'tells' or 'told'. The simple past form is erzählte, which means 'told'. The present perfect form is hat erzählt, meaning 'has told'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɛɐ̯ˈtsɛːlən/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use sagen to mean 'to tell a story'. However, you should use erzählen for narratives.
Did you know?
- The verb erzählen is built from the word zählen, which means 'to count' or 'to number'. Historically, telling a story was seen as a way of counting out events one by one.
- In German, if you want to tell someone to 'be quiet', you do not use sagen or erzählen, but rather a phrase involving still, meaning 'still' or 'quiet'.
- German uses the verb mitteilen in professional emails to create a polite distance, as it sounds more objective and less personal than sagen.
Examples in context
- Sie sagen es dir.They tell you this.This sentence shows how to use sagen to convey information to someone.Tatoeba #3074734 by faehrmann, translation #4031936 by Balamax
- Sagen Sie es Tom.Tell Tom.This sentence uses sagen as an imperative to tell a specific person.Tatoeba #4942630 by Hans_Adler, translation #2111475 by CK
- Sagen Sie es allen.Tell everybody.This sentence uses sagen as an imperative to tell a group of people.Tatoeba #4942643 by Hans_Adler, translation #2111476 by CK
- Können Sie mir bitte sagen, wo sich der Bahnhof befindet?Can you please tell me where the train station is?
- Die Geschäftsleitung teilt Ihnen mit, dass es Änderungen im Projektplan gibt.The management informs you that there are changes in the project plan.
- Der Journalist berichtete über die aktuellen Ereignisse.The journalist reported on the current events.
- Kannst du mir von deinem Urlaub erzählen?Can you tell me about your vacation?
- Vergiss nicht, mir Bescheid zu sagen, wenn du ankommst.Don't forget to let me know when you arrive.
- Erzähl mir von deiner Party!Tell me about your party!
- Könnten Sie mir bitte mitteilen, wann das Projekt abgeschlossen wird?Could you please tell me when the project will be finished?
- Kannst du mir bitte sagen, wie ich dorthin komme?Can you please tell me how to get there?
- 3207 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Julia are sitting in a cafe.
- LukasErzähl mir von deinem neuen Job, Julia!Tell me about your new job, Julia!
- JuliaIch kann dir viel erzählen.I can tell you a lot.
- LukasLass es uns bei einem Kaffee besprechen.Let's discuss it over a coffee.
- JuliaGute Idee, Lukas.Good idea, Lukas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tell” translations and entries erzählen, sagen, mitteilen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries erzählen, mitteilen, sagen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
