to say about / repeat
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to say about someone
To claim about a person that they have a certain, often negative, quality or a certain behavior. This claim is often based on rumors.
Man sagt ihm nach, dass er sehr geizig sei.
People say about him that he is very stingy.
'Nachsagen' is a separable verb. The prefix 'nach-' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Man sagt ihr eine große Begabung nach.
People attribute great talent to her.
The two meanings can be distinguished well by the sentence structure. If a person is in the dative, e.g. 'ihm' (to him), 'der Kollegin' (to the colleague), it is about a rumor. If this element is missing, it usually means repeating words.
Man sagt dem neuen Chef nach, er sei sehr streng. (Gerücht)
People say about the new boss that he is very strict. (rumor)
When spreading a rumor about a person, that person is always in the dative. The quality or behavior being claimed is in the accusative or in a 'dass' clause.
Man sagt ihm (Dativ) eine gewisse Sturheit (Akkusativ) nach.
People attribute a certain stubbornness to him (dative).
In the meaning 'wiederholen' (to repeat), the verb is often used in the context of learning. Typical objects are 'Wörter' (words), 'Sätze' (sentences), or 'Laute' (sounds).
Im Sprachkurs müssen wir die neuen Vokabeln nachsagen.
In the language course, we have to repeat the new vocabulary words.
to claim / assert
'behaupten' and 'nachsagen' can both express that something is said about someone or something that is not necessarily proven. 'behaupten' is more general: you can claim a fact, an opinion, or an explanation. 'jemandem etwas nachsagen' is almost always used about a person and often about a quality or behavior, especially when it sounds like a rumor. It often has a negative tone. Learners may confuse the words because both involve uncertain statements. If someone themselves says something is true, 'behaupten' fits. If other people say something about a person, 'nachsagen' fits.
Man sagt dem neuen Chef nach, dass er sehr streng ist.
People say about the new boss that he is very strict.
Der Kunde behauptet, dass er die Rechnung schon bezahlt hat.
The customer claims that he has already paid the invoice.