German Phrase
Sag mir dein Ziel, bitte.
Meaning
Literally, 'Tell me your goal, please.' It’s a direct but polite request for someone to share what they aim to achieve.
When to use
Use this informal phrase when you’re chatting with a friend, a teammate, or anyone you address with 'du' and you want to know their objective or plan.
✦Grammar Breakdown
SagmirdeinZielbitte
Imperative (Sag)
Use the 2nd person singular imperative of 'sagen' – drop the -en ending and add a trailing - (Sag).
Dative pronoun (mir)
When something is said to someone, the recipient takes the dative case; 'mir' means 'to me'.
Possessive adjective (dein)
The possessive adjective matches the gender, number, and case of the noun; here 'dein' modifies the neuter noun 'Ziel' in accusative.
Polite particle (bitte)
Placing 'bitte' at the end of an imperative softens the request and makes it courteous.
🗨In Conversation
Sag mir dein Ziel, bitte.
Tell me your goal, please.
Ich möchte fließend Spanisch sprechen.
I want to speak Spanish fluently.
✕Common Mistakes
Sagen mir dein Ziel, bitte.
The infinitive cannot be used in an imperative; you need the shortened form 'Sag'.
Sag du mir dein Ziel, bitte.
Subject pronouns are omitted in German imperatives; adding 'du' is redundant and sounds unnatural.
↔Alternatives
Erzähl mir dein Ziel.
Tell me your goal.
Nenn mir dein Ziel.
Name your goal.
Bitte sag mir, was du erreichen willst.
Please tell me what you want to achieve.
Cultural Tip
In German, the imperative can sound abrupt, so adding 'bitte' is essential for politeness. Remember that 'Sag mir' is informal; in a formal setting you would say 'Sagen Sie mir bitte Ihr Ziel.' Also, the verb 'sagen' takes a dative object for the person you’re speaking to, which is why 'mir' (to me) is used.