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decir

verbBeginnerHigh frequency

What does “decir” mean in English?

  1. to say / tell

Example sentences

  • ¿Cómo se dice hello en español?

    How do you say hello in Spanish?

  • Digo la verdad.

    I tell the truth.

  • Le dice algo importante.

    He tells him/her something important.

How to use it

Decir means 'to say' / 'to tell'. Irregular: digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen (e→i stem change). Strong 1sg digo.

Common mistake

Spanish doesn't split 'say' and 'tell' the way English does — decir covers both. Indirect object pronouns (me, te, le) signal 'tell to whom'.

Forms of decir

Present
digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen

Topics

Related Beginner words

Reference

This entry’s teaching guidance follows A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish (Butt, Benjamin & Moreira Rodríguez, Routledge), 13.