¿Lo dije bien?
/lo ˈdixe ˈbjen/word by word
The English phrase "did I say it right?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Lo dije bien?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Lo dije bien literally means "I said it well", consisting of lo (it), dije (I said) and bien (well).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, you do not need an auxiliary verb like "did" to form a question. You simply use rising intonation and question marks.
Did you know?
- If you accidentally use the word dije in a different context, you might be talking about 'gossip' or a 'trifle', as the word historically evolved from senses of 'tall tales' and 'trinkets'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, if you ask ¿Lo dije bien?, a native speaker might respond with ¡Perfecto! even if you made a small mistake to encourage your confidence.
- Spanish speakers often use the word bien to mean 'okay' or 'fine' in a way that can sound dismissive, depending entirely on the tone used.
Examples in context
- Hola, señor. ¿Lo dije correctamente?Hello, sir. Did I say it correctly?
- Disculpe, profesor. ¿Lo dije bien?Excuse me, professor. Did I say it well?
- Oye, ¿lo dije bien?Hey, did I say it well?
- Chicos, ¿lo he dicho bien?Guys, did I say it well?
- ¿Dije bien eso o me equivoqué?Did I say that well, or did I make a mistake?
- He intentado pronunciarlo, ¿lo dije bien?I tried to pronounce it, did I say it right?
- Acabo de usar una palabra nueva, ¿lo dije bien?I just used a new word, did I say it right?
Example conversation
Alejandro is practicing his Spanish pronunciation with Elena.
- AlejandroHola, ¿cómo estás?Hello, how are you?
- ElenaMuy bien, Alejandro.Very well, Alejandro.
- Alejandro¿Lo dije bien?Did I say it right?
- ElenaSí, lo dijiste perfecto.Yes, you said it perfectly.
