Decir Conjugation: Digo, Dije, Dicho and Every Tense (Chart)

Decir means "to say" or "to tell." It's one of the most irregular verbs in Spanish: the present is digo, dices, dice, the preterite is dije, dijo, dijeron, the future is diré, and the past participle is dicho. Like hacer, only the imperfect (decía) is regular.

Decir Conjugation Chart

Indicative: present, preterite and imperfect

Future, conditional and present perfect

Subjunctive

Commands (imperative)

Gerund: diciendo (estoy diciendo) · Past participle: dicho (he dicho)

What Makes Decir Irregular

Decir combines three separate irregularities:

• Yo form in -go plus an e→i stem change: digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the e.
• J-stem preterite: dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron. Because the stem ends in j, the ellos form is dijeron, not "dijieron." Traer (trajeron) and conducir (condujeron) work the same way.
• Short future and conditional stem dir-: diré, dirás, diría, dirías.

The gerund is diciendo, the participle is dicho, and the tú command is just di. Compounds keep the pattern: predecir (predigo, predije), contradecir (contradigo).

How to Use Decir

Decir works with either an indicative or a subjunctive clause, and the choice changes the meaning:

• Reporting information uses the indicative: Me dijo que venía means "She told me she was coming."
• Telling someone to do something uses the subjunctive: Me dijo que viniera means "She told me to come."

Remember the indirect object pronoun, which shows who is being told: le dije (I told him/her), nos dijeron (they told us). In Spain, ¿Diga? or ¿Dígame? is a common way to answer the phone.

Common Expressions With Decir

Decir in Example Sentences

• Siempre digo la verdad. (I always tell the truth.)
• ¿Qué te dijo el médico? (What did the doctor tell you?)
• Mi abuela decía que el tiempo lo cura todo. (My grandmother used to say that time heals everything.)
• Te lo diré cuando lo sepa. (I'll tell you when I know.)
• No le digas nada a nadie. (Don't tell anyone anything.)
• Nunca me habían dicho algo tan bonito. (No one had ever told me something so nice.)

Common Mistakes With Decir

• "Dijieron" instead of dijeron. After a j, the ending is -eron. This is one of the most common errors, even among native speakers.
• Confusing digo and decido. Digo is "I say"; decido is "I decide," from decidir.
• Using decir for stories. "To tell a story" is contar una historia, not "decir una historia."
• Dropping the indirect object pronoun. Spanish prefers Le dije a Marta over "Dije a Marta," even though Marta is already named.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is decir irregular in the preterite?

Yes. The preterite of decir is dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron. The stem changes to dij- and the endings have no written accents.

What is the past participle of decir?

The past participle is dicho, as in he dicho (I have said) and lo dicho (what was said).

What is the tú command of decir?

The affirmative tú command is di (Di la verdad: tell the truth). The negative is no digas.

What is the difference between decir and hablar?

Decir means to say or tell something specific (Dijo que sí). Hablar means to speak or talk in general (Hablamos durante horas).

Keep Practicing

The quiz below mixes pronouns and tenses from the chart above. For more practice, these guides pair well with decir:

• Hacer Conjugation: Hago, Hice, Hacía and Every Tense (Chart)
• Pedir Conjugation: Pido, Pidió, Pida and Every Tense (Chart)
• Spanish Subjunctive Made Simple: A Complete Guide
• Imperfect Or Preterite A Guide to Spanish Past Tenses