What does decir mean in English?

Decir means "to say/tell" in English.

How do you conjugate decir in Spanish?

Decir is conjugated across all Spanish tenses including present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, subjunctive, and more. Each tense has specific conjugations for yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, and ellos/ustedes. You can see complete conjugation tables with audio pronunciations on this page.

What are common idiomatic expressions with decir?

Common idiomatic expressions using decir include: "es decir" (that is to say / in other words), "querer decir" (to mean), "decir que sí / que no" (to say yes / to say no). These expressions are frequently used in everyday Spanish conversation.

What should I know about using decir?

Decir is one of the most irregular verbs in Spanish

What verbs are related to decir?

Verbs related to decir include: predecir, contradecir, bendecir. These verbs share similar meanings, stems, or conjugation patterns.

How do you use decir in a sentence?

Example: "¿Qué dices?" which means "What are you saying?" in English.

What are synonyms for decir?

Spanish synonyms for decir include: expresar, manifestar, comentar. The exact synonym to use depends on the context and specific meaning intended.

Decir Conjugation

to say/tell in Spanish

🏃

Gerund (gerundio)

Present participle (-ing form)

diciendo

📋

Past Participle

Used in compound tenses

dicho

Simple Tenses

⚡

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)

Present actions and habitual activities

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	digo I say/tell	I say/tell
tú	dices you say/tell	you say/tell
él/ella/usted	dice he/she/you say/tells	he/she/you say/tells
nosotros	decimos we say/tell	we say/tell
vosotros	decís you all say/tell	you all say/tell
ellos/ustedes	dicen they/you all say/tell	they/you all say/tell

🕰️

Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)

Ongoing past actions and descriptions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	decía I used to say/tell	I used to say/tell
tú	decías you used to say/tell	you used to say/tell
él/ella/usted	decía he/she/you used to say/tell	he/she/you used to say/tell
nosotros	decíamos we used to say/tell	we used to say/tell
vosotros	decíais you all used to say/tell	you all used to say/tell
ellos/ustedes	decían they/you all used to say/tell	they/you all used to say/tell

📅

Preterit (pretérito)

Completed past actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	dije I say/telled	I say/telled
tú	dijiste you say/telled	you say/telled
él/ella/usted	dijo he/she/you say/telled	he/she/you say/telled
nosotros	dijimos we say/telled	we say/telled
vosotros	dijisteis you all say/telled	you all say/telled
ellos/ustedes	dijeron they/you all say/telled	they/you all say/telled

🔮

Future (futuro)

Future actions and intentions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	diré I will say/tell	I will say/tell
tú	dirás you will say/tell	you will say/tell
él/ella/usted	dirá he/she/you will say/tell	he/she/you will say/tell
nosotros	diremos we will say/tell	we will say/tell
vosotros	diréis you all will say/tell	you all will say/tell
ellos/ustedes	dirán they/you all will say/tell	they/you all will say/tell

🎯

Conditional (potencial simple)

Hypothetical and conditional actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	diría I would say/tell	I would say/tell
tú	dirías you would say/tell	you would say/tell
él/ella/usted	diría he/she/you would say/tell	he/she/you would say/tell
nosotros	diríamos we would say/tell	we would say/tell
vosotros	diríais you all would say/tell	you all would say/tell
ellos/ustedes	dirían they/you all would say/tell	they/you all would say/tell

💭

Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)

Subjective present actions and desires

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	diga that I say/tell	that I say/tell
tú	digas that you say/tell	that you say/tell
él/ella/usted	diga that he/she/you say/tell	that he/she/you say/tell
nosotros	digamos that we say/tell	that we say/tell
vosotros	digáis that you all say/tell	that you all say/tell
ellos/ustedes	digan that they/you all say/tell	that they/you all say/tell

🌙

Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	dijera or dijera that I say/telled	that I say/telled
tú	dijeras or dijeras that you say/telled	that you say/telled
él/ella/usted	dijera or dijera that he/she/you say/telled	that he/she/you say/telled
nosotros	dijéramos or dijéramos that we say/telled	that we say/telled
vosotros	dijerais or dijerais that you all say/telled	that you all say/telled
ellos/ustedes	dijeran or dijeran that they/you all say/telled	that they/you all say/telled

Compound Tenses

✅

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed recently or with present relevance

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	he dicho I have say/telled	I have say/telled
tú	has dicho you have say/telled	you have say/telled
él/ella/usted	ha dicho he/she/you have say/telled	he/she/you have say/telled
nosotros	hemos dicho we have say/telled	we have say/telled
vosotros	habéis dicho you all have say/telled	you all have say/telled
ellos/ustedes	han dicho they/you all have say/telled	they/you all have say/telled

⏪

Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	había dicho I had say/telled	I had say/telled
tú	habías dicho you had say/telled	you had say/telled
él/ella/usted	había dicho he/she/you had say/telled	he/she/you had say/telled
nosotros	habíamos dicho we had say/telled	we had say/telled
vosotros	habíais dicho you all had say/telled	you all had say/telled
ellos/ustedes	habían dicho they/you all had say/telled	they/you all had say/telled

📍

Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)

Actions completed immediately before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hube dicho I had say/telled	I had say/telled
tú	hubiste dicho you had say/telled	you had say/telled
él/ella/usted	hubo dicho he/she/you had say/telled	he/she/you had say/telled
nosotros	hubimos dicho we had say/telled	we had say/telled
vosotros	hubisteis dicho you all had say/telled	you all had say/telled
ellos/ustedes	hubieron dicho they/you all had say/telled	they/you all had say/telled

🎊

Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)

Actions that will be completed by a future time

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habré dicho I will have say/telled	I will have say/telled
tú	habrás dicho you will have say/telled	you will have say/telled
él/ella/usted	habrá dicho he/she/you will have say/telled	he/she/you will have say/telled
nosotros	habremos dicho we will have say/telled	we will have say/telled
vosotros	habréis dicho you all will have say/telled	you all will have say/telled
ellos/ustedes	habrán dicho they/you all will have say/telled	they/you all will have say/telled

🔄

Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)

Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habría dicho I would have say/telled	I would have say/telled
tú	habrías dicho you would have say/telled	you would have say/telled
él/ella/usted	habría dicho he/she/you would have say/telled	he/she/you would have say/telled
nosotros	habríamos dicho we would have say/telled	we would have say/telled
vosotros	habríais dicho you all would have say/telled	you all would have say/telled
ellos/ustedes	habrían dicho they/you all would have say/telled	they/you all would have say/telled

💫

Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed in relation to the present

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	haya dicho that I have say/telled	that I have say/telled
tú	hayas dicho that you have say/telled	that you have say/telled
él/ella/usted	haya dicho that he/she/you have say/telled	that he/she/you have say/telled
nosotros	hayamos dicho that we have say/telled	that we have say/telled
vosotros	hayáis dicho that you all have say/telled	that you all have say/telled
ellos/ustedes	hayan dicho that they/you all have say/telled	that they/you all have say/telled

🌌

Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hubiera dicho that I had say/telled	that I had say/telled
tú	hubieras dicho that you had say/telled	that you had say/telled
él/ella/usted	hubiera dicho that he/she/you had say/telled	that he/she/you had say/telled
nosotros	hubiéramos dicho that we had say/telled	that we had say/telled
vosotros	hubierais dicho that you all had say/telled	that you all had say/telled
ellos/ustedes	hubieran dicho that they/you all had say/telled	that they/you all had say/telled

❗

Commands (imperativo)

Commands and direct orders

Person	Command	English
tú	di	say/tell! (you)
usted	diga	say/tell! (you formal)
nosotros	digamos	let's say/tell!
vosotros	decid	say/tell! (you all)
ustedes	digan	say/tell! (you all)

🚫

Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)

Negative commands and prohibitions

Person	Command	English
tú	no digas	don't say/tell! (you)
usted	no diga	don't say/tell! (you formal)
nosotros	no digamos	let's not say/tell!
vosotros	no digáis	don't say/tell! (you all)
ustedes	no digan	don't say/tell! (you all)

More About "decir"

Idiomatic Expressions

es decir

that is to say / in other words

💡 Used to clarify or rephrase something

querer decir

to mean

💡 Explaining the meaning of something

decir que sí / que no

to say yes / to say no

💡 Giving affirmative or negative responses

ni que decir tiene

it goes without saying / needless to say

💡 Introducing something obvious

el qué dirán

what people will say / gossip

💡 Concern about others' opinions

como quien dice

so to speak / as it were

💡 Introducing a comparison or metaphor

Examples in Context

¿Qué dices?

What are you saying?

Present

Me dijo que vendría tarde.

He told me he would come late.

Preterite

Siempre decía la verdad.

He always told the truth.

Imperfect

Te diré un secreto.

I will tell you a secret.

Future

Han dicho que viene mañana.

They have said he is coming tomorrow.

Present Perfect

Related Verbs

predecir(to predict)

compound verb with pre- prefix

contradecir(to contradict)

compound verb with contra- prefix

bendecir(to bless)

compound verb with ben- prefix

maldecir(to curse)

compound verb with mal- prefix

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

expresar(to express)

More formal, emphasizes conveying ideas

manifestar(to state, manifest)

Formal, often used in official contexts

comentar(to comment, remark)

Less formal, emphasizes casual statement

afirmar(to affirm, state)

Emphasizes assertiveness

Usage Notes

•Decir is one of the most irregular verbs in Spanish
•Highly irregular in most tenses with stem changes to "dig-", "dij-", "dir-"
•The past participle "dicho" is irregular (not "decido")
•Common construction: decir que + clause (to say that...)
•Used in direct and indirect speech extensively
•Present tense yo form: "digo" (not "deco")
•Preterite third person: "dijo/dijeron" (j sound, not normal -cer ending)
•Future stem: "dir-" (diré, dirás, dirá)

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Decir Conjugation

Simple Tenses

Compound Tenses

More About "decir"

Synonyms:

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