Verb Lookup
decir
to say
💬 Infinitive · Infinitivo
decir
deh-SEER
to say
Gerund · Gerundio: diciendo
Participle · Participio: dicho
Yo · I
digo
say
Yo digo.
I say.
Tú · You
dices
say
Tú dices.
You say.
Él / Ella · He / She
dice
says
Él / Ella dice.
He / She says.
Nosotros · We
decimos
say
Nosotros decimos.
We say.
Ellos · They
dicen
say
Ellos dicen.
They say.
Why does this change?
- Irregular
- Doesn't follow a predictable pattern in at least one tense — these forms are worth memorizing individually rather than deriving from a rule.
- Stem-changing
- The vowel in the stem changes in most forms (e.g. e→ie, o→ue) — but the endings themselves stay completely regular.
- e→i in the present tense (except nosotros)
- yo: digo
- preterite yo: dije
- future: diré
- participle: dicho
Adds -g- before the yo ending (with e→i elsewhere in the present), an irregular j-stem preterite, an irregular future stem, and an irregular participle.
In use · En uso
- Digo la verdad siempre.
I always tell the truth. - Ella dijo que vendría tarde.
She said she would come late. - Te diré un secreto.
I will tell you a secret.
Common combinations · Combinaciones comunes
- es decir — that is to say / in other words
A fixed phrase, not decir conjugated for a subject.
Used in lessons · Usado en lecciones
- ❓ Question Words
Ayer ellos dijeron qué necesitaban.
Yesterday they said what they needed.
- 😊 Feelings & Emotions
Me dolió lo que dijiste.
What you said hurt me.
- 🧑💼 Coworkers, Bosses & Meetings
¿Puedo decir algo?
Can I say something?
- 💬 Small Talk
¿Cómo se dice...?
How do you say...?
- 💬 Small Talk
¿Qué quiere decir esto?
What does this mean?
- 💬 Small Talk
¿Se dice así?
Do you say it like this?
Words and phrases · Palabras y frases
Phrases with this verb · Frases con el verbo
- ¿Cómo se dice ___ en español?How do you say ___ in Spanish?
- ¿Qué dices?What are you saying?
- No sé qué decir.I don't know what to say.
- Dime la verdad.Tell me the truth.
- Ella dice que sí.She says yes.
- ¿Qué tratas de decir?What are you trying to say?
Looking for a different verb? Search the full verb list.