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German Phrase

Sag mir, was dir passt.

/zaːk miːɐ̯ vas diːɐ̯ paːst/
Meaning"Tell me what works for you."
💡

Meaning

‘Sag mir, was dir passt.’ asks the listener to tell you which option, time, or thing is suitable for them. It’s a friendly way to let the other person choose what works best for them.

🎯

When to use

Use it in informal conversations when you’re arranging a meeting, picking a restaurant, or deciding on clothing. It signals openness and lets the other person decide.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Sagmir,wasdirpasst.

1

Imperative (Sag)

‘Sag’ is the du‑imperative of ‘sagen’; drop the infinitive ending and add –(e) for informal commands.

2

Dative pronoun (mir)

‘mir’ is the dative form of ‘ich’; after verbs like ‘sagen’ the person you speak to receives the dative.

3

Indirect question (was)

‘was’ introduces an indirect question, equivalent to ‘what’ in English.

4

Dative pronoun (dir)

‘dir’ is the dative form of ‘du’; the verb ‘passen’ governs the dative case.

5

Verb agreement (passt)

‘passt’ is the 3rd‑person singular present of ‘passen’; the subject is the neuter ‘was’.

🗨In Conversation

A

Wir können am Montag oder Mittwoch gehen. Sag mir, was dir passt.

We can go on Monday or Wednesday. Tell me which one works for you.

Mittwoch passt mir besser.

Wednesday works better for me.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Sag mich, was dir passt.

    ‘Sag mir’ requires the dative pronoun ‘mir’, not the accusative ‘mich’.

  • Sag mir, was dir passen.

    Because the subject is ‘was’ (neuter singular), the verb must be singular ‘passt’.

  • Sag mir, was dich passt.

    ‘Passen’ governs the dative case; using the accusative ‘dich’ is incorrect.

↔Alternatives

  • Sag mir, was dir gefällt.

    Tell me what you like.

  • Lass mich wissen, was dir passt.

    Let me know what suits you.

  • Sag mir, wann es dir passt.

    Tell me when it works for you.

de

Cultural Tip

In German the verb ‘passen’ always takes a dative object, so you must say ‘dir passt’ and not ‘dich passt’. The phrase is informal; in a business or formal setting you would say ‘Sagen Sie mir, was Ihnen passt.’ Also, German speakers often prefer the indirect‑question structure ‘was … passt’ over a direct ‘welche … passt’ in casual speech.