erzähle

Erzähle is a form of the German verb erzählen, meaning to tell, recount, or narrate. It can function as the first-person present tense form ich erzähle, or as the imperative form Erzähle! used to command someone to tell a story or recount something.

In typical use, erzählen takes a direct object that denotes what is being told, and commonly an indirect object indicating to whom it is told. For example: Ich erzähle dir eine Geschichte. Erzähl mir von deinem Urlaub. The content can be introduced by prepositional phrases such as von or über.

Conjugation and usage notes: in the present tense, ich erzähle, du erzählst, er/sie/es erzählt; in the simple past, ich erzählte, du erzähltest, er/sie/es erzählte; the past participle is erzählt. The imperative forms are Erzähle (du) and Erzählt (ihr). The verb is used with a variety of objects, including people, events, or experiences, and often with a relational or narrative focus.

Etymology and classification: erzählen is a Germanic verb formed with the prefix er- attached to the base related to erzählen/ zähle in historical forms, giving the sense of recounting or completing a narrative. It is attested in Middle High German and has given rise to related nouns such as Erzählung (story or narrative), Erzähler (narrator), and Erzählkunst (art of storytelling).

See also: Erzählung, Erzähler, Erzählkunst.