This is the 2866th most frequent Dutch word.
zegt
"Zegt" means "says" in English.
Here, 'zegt' means 'says', indicating reported speech from the subject.
Hij zegt dat hij vandaag niet naar school kan gaan.
He says that he cannot go to school today.
In this context, 'zegt' is used to personify the clock, attributing it with the action of stating something.
Wat zegt de klok over de tijd?
What does the clock say about the time?
In this context, 'zegt' means 'tells', indicating direct communication from the subject to another.