Zeggen ("to say") is one of the most frequent verbs in the language and a textbook mixed verb — part strong, part weak. Its past tense is genuinely irregular (zei / zeiden), with a vowel change you simply have to learn; but its participle (gezegd) is built the ordinary weak way. That split is exactly what "mixed" means. This page lays out the whole paradigm, flags the irregular forms, and separates zeggen ("say") from vertellen ("tell") — a distinction English blurs.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Simple past (sg.) | Past participle | Perfect auxiliary |
|---|---|---|---|
| zeggen | zei | gezegd | hebben |
Classification: mixed (irregular past, weak participle). The past is irregular: the stem vowel changes and the dental ending is absent — zei, not the regularised zegde. But the participle gezegd is weak: ge- + stem zeg + -d (with the spelling adjustment below). Auxiliary hebben.
Present tense
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| ik | zeg | I say |
| jij / je | zegt | you say |
| u | zegt | you say (formal) |
| hij / zij / het | zegt | he / she / it says |
| wij / we | zeggen | we say |
| jullie | zeggen | you (pl.) say |
| zij / ze | zeggen | they say |
The present is completely regular: stem zeg for ik, zegt for jij/u/hij, infinitive zeggen for the plurals. (The double g in zeggen is just a spelling consequence of the short e in a closed-then-open syllable — it isn't an extra sound.) As always, the jij/je -t drops after the verb: je zegt but zeg je?
Wat zeg je nou? Dat meen je niet!
What are you saying? You can't be serious! Inverted 'je' — the -t drops: 'zeg je'.
Simple past: zei / zeiden — the irregular form
Here is where zeggen stops being regular. You would expect a weak past zegde, and indeed that form existed in older Dutch — but it is dated/archaic today and sounds wrong in modern speech. The living form is irregular:
- zei (singular) — vowel changes from e to the ei diphthong; no dental ending.
- zeiden (plural) — same diphthong, plural ending -den.
| Person | Past form |
|---|---|
| ik / jij / u / hij / zij / het | zei |
| wij / jullie / zij (pl.) | zeiden |
Hij zei geen woord en liep meteen de deur uit.
He didn't say a word and walked straight out the door. Irregular singular past 'zei'.
Ze zeiden allebei precies hetzelfde.
They both said exactly the same thing. Irregular plural past 'zeiden'.
The perfect: heb gezegd
The participle swings back to weak: gezegd = ge- + stem zeg + -d. (In spelling, zeg + d would give zegd, and the final cluster is written -gd: gezegd. The 't kofschip rule still applies underneath — the stem's underlying sound is voiced, so -d, not -t.) Auxiliary hebben.
| Person | Perfect | English |
|---|---|---|
| ik | heb gezegd | I have said |
| jij / u | hebt gezegd | you have said |
| hij / zij / het | heeft gezegd | he/she/it has said |
| wij / jullie / zij | hebben gezegd | we/you/they have said |
So zeggen is "mixed" in the literal sense: irregular past (zei/zeiden) sits next to a weak participle (gezegd). You learn the past as a one-off; the participle follows the rules.
Dat heb ik toch al duizend keer gezegd!
I've told you that a thousand times already! Perfect 'heb ... gezegd'.
Zeggen vs vertellen
English "say" and "tell" overlap, but Dutch keeps them apart:
- zeggen = to say — report words, often the words themselves or a short statement. Hij zei "ja". You say something (a thing, a word), or say something to someone: Ik zeg het tegen hem (note: tegen, not a bare object).
- vertellen = to tell / recount — convey a story, news, or information to someone. Vertel me eens wat er gebeurd is. It typically takes a person as indirect object without a preposition: Ik vertel je een geheim.
A useful rule of thumb: you zegt words or short statements; you vertelt stories and information.
Ze zei niets, maar vertelde later het hele verhaal aan haar zus.
She said nothing, but later told her sister the whole story. 'zei' (said) vs 'vertelde' (told a story).
Imperative
| Form | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
| Zeg! | bare stem; also a casual attention-getter | Say! / Hey, listen! |
| Zeg het maar. | everyday phrase | Go ahead / Tell me what you'd like. |
| Zeg dat wel. | set phrase | You can say that again. |
Zeg, heb jij mijn telefoon ergens gezien?
Hey, have you seen my phone anywhere? 'Zeg' used as a casual opener.
Three model sentences
Mijn vader zegt altijd dat eerlijkheid het langst duurt.
My father always says that honesty lasts longest. Third-person singular 'zegt'.
De dokter zei dat ik me geen zorgen hoefde te maken.
The doctor said I needn't worry. Irregular singular past 'zei'.
Wie heeft dat gezegd? Dat is gewoon niet waar.
Who said that? That's simply not true. Perfect 'heeft ... gezegd'.
Common Mistakes
❌ Hij zegde dat hij later kwam.
Incorrect — 'zegde' is archaic; the modern past is irregular: 'Hij zei dat hij later kwam'.
✅ Hij zei dat hij later kwam.
He said he'd come later.
❌ Ze zeidden allebei ja.
Incorrect — the plural past is 'zeiden' (one d): no double d, no g.
✅ Ze zeiden allebei ja.
They both said yes.
❌ Ik heb het hem gezegt.
Incorrect — the participle ends in voiced -d: 'gezegd', not 'gezegt'.
✅ Ik heb het hem gezegd.
I told it to him / I said it to him.
❌ Ze zei me een verhaal.
Incorrect — for recounting a story use vertellen: 'Ze vertelde me een verhaal'.
✅ Ze vertelde me een verhaal.
She told me a story.
❌ Ik zeg het hem.
Incorrect — zeggen takes 'tegen' for the person: 'Ik zeg het tegen hem'.
✅ Ik zeg het tegen hem.
I say it to him.
Key Takeaways
- Zeggen is a mixed verb: irregular past, weak participle.
- Present is regular: zeg / zegt / zeggen.
- Past is irregular: zei (sg.) / zeiden (pl.) — ei diphthong, no dental ending, no g. The old zegde is archaic.
- Participle is weak: gezegd (-gd). Auxiliary hebben.
- zeggen = say (words, short statements; person with tegen); vertellen = tell / recount (stories, news, to a person).
Now practice Dutch
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