German course

Lesson 209 of 240

New here? This is lesson 209 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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Telling people what someone said in German

Jonas needs Priya to pass a message to Jule: the meeting has moved. A voice message is already half gone in the loft noise.

You'll ask what someone just said, offer to pass it on, and report it with hat gesagt and hat gefragt.

When a bit is missing, you say you didn't catch the rest. Keep the message accurate.

By the end of this lesson

Pass on a message accurately, and say when you missed part of it.

  • Was hat sie gerade gesagt?What did she just say?
  • Soll ich das für dich ausrichten?Shall I pass that on for you?
  • Er hat gesagt, er kann heute nicht.He said he can't make it today.
  • Sie hat gefragt, ob du Zeit hast.She asked if you've got time.
  • Kannst du ihm sagen, dass ich warte?Can you tell him I'm waiting?
  • Den Rest habe ich nicht verstanden.I didn't catch the rest.

Scene — the loft desk

Afternoon in the co-working loft by the canal. Jonas has his phone on the table and a mug he has not touched.

Jule is still at the far desk with her headphones. Priya is close enough to hear a voice message, but not the last words.

Jonas sits by an untouched mug and phone while Priya is nearby and Jule works at the far desk.

Learn — pass on a message

Six lines help you pass on a message: ask what she said, offer to pass it on, then report it with gesagt, gefragt, and dass.

You also get a line for the bit you missed.

  1. Jonas holds his phone near the untouched mug as Jule's voice message plays.

    Was hat sie gerade gesagt?

    What did she just say?

    When to use it: Ask this when you missed what a woman just said.

    In a main question, hat comes second and gesagt comes at the end.

  2. Priya turns toward Jonas with an open gesture, ready to help pass on the message.

    Soll ich das für dich ausrichten?

    Shall I pass that on for you?

    When to use it: Offer this when you can pass a message on for a friend.

    Jonas is a close colleague, so he gets du; dich is the matching form.

    Say it: Für uses a tight, rounded ü sound.

  3. Jonas holds his phone and gives a small head shake as Priya listens.

    Er hat gesagt, er kann heute nicht.

    He said he can't make it today.

    When to use it: Use this to pass on that a man cannot come today.

    In speech, the clause after hat gesagt can keep main-clause word order without dass.

  4. Priya gestures toward the phone as she offers to pass the message on.

    Sie hat gefragt, ob du Zeit hast.

    She asked if you've got time.

    When to use it: Use this to pass on a yes-or-no question she asked.

    After ob, the verb goes last: hast sits at the end.

  5. The untouched mug fills the foreground as Jonas pauses and Priya leans closer to hear him repeat the message.

    Kannst du ihm sagen, dass ich warte?

    Can you tell him I'm waiting?

    When to use it: Ask a friend to tell a man that you are waiting.

    After dass, the verb goes last: warte sits at the end.

  6. Priya leans toward Jonas's phone, concentrating as the voice message ends before its final words.

    Den Rest habe ich nicht verstanden.

    I didn't catch the rest.

    When to use it: Say this when you missed the last part of a message.

    Habe comes second even when Den Rest starts the sentence.

Story — the meeting moved

Watch Priya pass Jonas's message to Jule. She checks what the voice message said, then repeats it carefully.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Jonas holds out his phone and plays the beginning of Jule's voice message. The last words cut out.
  2. JonasJule hat mir eben eine Sprachnachricht geschickt.Jule just sent me a voice message.
  3. JuleHast du heute Zeit? Ich wollte noch mit dir über das Meeting sprechen, und ...Have you got time today? I wanted to talk to you about the meeting, and ...
  4. PriyaWas hat sie gerade gesagt?What did she just say?
  5. JonasSie hat gefragt, ob ich Zeit habe.She asked if I have time.
  6. PriyaSie hat gefragt, ob du Zeit hast.She asked if you've got time.
  7. JonasSag ihr bitte: Das Meeting ist verschoben. Ich kann heute nicht.Please tell her: The meeting has been moved. I can't make it today.
  8. PriyaSoll ich das für dich ausrichten?Shall I pass that on for you?
  9. JonasJa, bitte. Das Meeting ist verschoben, und ich kann heute nicht.Yes, please. The meeting has been moved, and I can't make it today.
  10. PriyaDen Rest habe ich nicht verstanden.I didn't catch the rest.
  11. JonasSoll ich das wiederholen?Do you want me to repeat that?
  12. PriyaJa, bitte.Yes, please.
  13. JonasDas Meeting ist verschoben. Ich kann heute nicht.The meeting has been moved. I can't make it today.
  14. PriyaIch hab's verstanden.I've got it.
  15. Jonas takes his phone and steps into the hallway. Jule pulls her headphones down and walks over.
  16. PriyaEr hat gesagt, das Meeting ist verschoben. Er hat gesagt, er kann heute nicht.He said the meeting has been moved. He said he can't make it today.
  17. JuleKannst du ihm sagen, dass ich warte?Can you tell him I'm waiting?
  18. PriyaJa, klar. Ich sag's ihm.Yes, sure. I'll tell him.

Practice — said or asked

Eleven short exercises wait here. You will listen, pick, fill a gap, and swap a word.

They stay focused on passing the message, not on extra grammar.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What do you say?

    Jonas needs Jule told. Offer to pass the message on for him.

  3. Pick the reply

    Jule says:

    Was hat Jonas gesagt?

    What did Jonas say?

    And you reply with:

  4. What does it mean?

    Sie hat gefragt, ob du Zeit hast.

  5. Fill the gap

    Can you tell him I'm waiting?

    Kannst du ihm sagen, ____ ich warte?

  6. Find the mistake

  7. Match the pairs

    German

    Er hat gesagt, er kann heute nicht.Drop the English here
    Sie hat gefragt, ob du Zeit hast.Drop the English here
    Kannst du ihm sagen, dass ich warte?Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its German, or tap one and then the other.

  8. Swap the word

    Pass on her question: she asked if you've got time.

    Sie hat gefragt, ob du ____ hast.

  9. Put the chat in order

    1. JuleWhat comes first?
    2. Priya…
    3. Jule…
    4. Priya…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

  10. Pick the reply

    Jonas says:

    Den Rest habe ich nicht verstanden.

    I didn't catch the rest.

    And you reply with:

  11. True or false?

    You say this when you got the message and do not need it repeated.

Say it — tell Jule

Now you're Priya in the loft. Jonas needs a message passed to Jule, and a voice message is already hard to hear.

When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line. Tap ▶ first if you want to hear it. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. JonasIch spiele dir den Anfang vor.I'll play you the beginning.
  2. JuleHast du heute Zeit? Ich wollte noch mit dir über das Meeting sprechen, und ...Have you got time today? I wanted to talk to you about the meeting, and ...
  3. Priya (you)Ask what she just said.

    Was hat sie gerade gesagt?

    What did she just say?

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Was hat sie gerade gesagt?What did she just say?
Soll ich das für dich ausrichten?Shall I pass that on for you?
Er hat gesagt, er kann heute nicht.He said he can't make it today.
Sie hat gefragt, ob du Zeit hast.She asked if you've got time.
Kannst du ihm sagen, dass ich warte?Can you tell him I'm waiting?
Den Rest habe ich nicht verstanden.I didn't catch the rest.
Next: lesson 210Festivals and traditions

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these message lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards keeps hat gesagt and hat gefragt ready for the loft.

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