Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Alle sagen danke.
Why does the verb sagen end in -en here?
The subject is Alle (everyone/all). In German, alle is a plural word. Just like with the plural pronoun sie (they) or wir (we), plural subjects take the -en verb ending.
In English we say "Everyone says", which uses a singular verb. Why is the German verb plural?
In English, words like "everyone" or "everybody" take singular verbs. However, the German word alle translates literally to "all", which is plural. That is why it pairs with the plural verb sagen instead of the singular sagt.
Why isn't danke capitalized?
Even though it means "thank you," danke is not considered a formal noun here. It acts as an exclamation, so it is written with a lowercase letter. You only capitalize true nouns in German, like der Dank (the thanks).
Do I pronounce the "e" at the end of Alle and danke?
Yes! In German, you almost always pronounce the "e" at the end of a word. It sounds like a short, relaxed "uh" sound, similar to the "a" in the English word "about."