sagen, sprechen, reden or erzählen?
a2Four words where English has say, speak, talk and tell. sagen names the content, sprechen the ability or formal speaking, reden casual conversation, erzählen the longer story.
sagen
Names what is said. The content nearly always follows: sagen, dass … Never with a language: not Deutsch sagen.
Sie hat gesagt, dass sie später kommt.She said that she will come later.
sprechen
The ability and formal speaking. Always used with languages and with asking to speak to someone.
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?Do you speak German?
reden
Casual, extended conversation. Often with über: über etwas reden. More colloquial than sprechen.
Wir haben lange über den Film geredet.We talked about the film for a long time.
erzählen
Recounting something connected: a story, your holiday, a joke. With the dative for the listener.
Erzähl mir von deiner Reise.Tell me about your trip.
The mistake
Ich sage kein Deutsch.
Ich spreche kein Deutsch.
A language is something you command, not something you utter. With languages it is always sprechen, never sagen.
Rule of thumb
If content follows, take sagen. If a language follows, take sprechen. If über follows, take reden. If a story follows, take erzählen.
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