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German Phrase

Sag bitte meinen Termin ab.

/zaːk ˈbɪtə ˈmaɪ̯nən ˈtɛʁmiːn ap/
Meaning"Please cancel my appointment."
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Meaning

A polite, informal way to ask someone to cancel an appointment that you have scheduled. The speaker is directly telling the listener to perform the cancellation.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you need to cancel a doctor's visit, a business meeting, a class, or any other scheduled event and you are speaking to someone you address informally (e.g., a colleague, a friend, or a receptionist you know by first name).

✦Grammar Breakdown

SagbittemeinenTerminab

1

Imperative (Sag)

‘Sag’ is the 2nd‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘sagen’. It is used for informal commands.

2

Politeness particle (bitte)

‘Bitte’ softens the command and makes the request sound courteous.

3

Accusative case (meinen Termin)

‘Termin’ is masculine; the accusative form of the possessive ‘mein’ is ‘meinen’.

4

Separable prefix (ab)

‘Absagen’ is a separable‑verb; in the imperative the prefix ‘ab’ moves to the end of the clause.

🗨In Conversation

A

Ich habe morgen um 10 Uhr einen Termin beim Zahnarzt.

I have an appointment with the dentist tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Sag bitte meinen Termin ab.

Please cancel my appointment.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Sag bitte meinen Termin sagen.

    ‘Sagen’ is the infinitive; you need the separable verb ‘absagen’, so the correct ending is ‘ab’.

  • Sag bitte mein Termin ab.

    ‘Termin’ is masculine accusative, so the possessive must be ‘meinen’, not ‘mein’.

  • Sag bitte meinen Termin.

    Leaving off the separable prefix ‘ab’ changes the meaning; the sentence no longer means ‘cancel’.

↔Alternatives

  • Bitte storniere meinen Termin.

    Please cancel my appointment.

  • Könntest du bitte meinen Termin absagen?

    Could you please cancel my appointment?

  • Bitte sag mir Bescheid, wenn du den Termin absagen kannst.

    Please let me know if you can cancel the appointment.

de

Cultural Tip

‘Absagen’ is the standard verb for cancelling a scheduled event. In formal contexts you would use the polite form ‘Sagen Sie bitte meinen Termin ab.’ or, even more politely, ‘Könnten Sie bitte meinen Termin absagen?’ The informal imperative ‘Sag’ is appropriate only with people you address with ‘du’. Also, Germans often prefer the word ‘stornieren’ for cancellations of tickets or reservations, while ‘absagen’ is used for meetings and appointments.