¿dijiste?
To say "did you say?" in Spanish, use ¿dijiste? most commonly.
This phrase is used to ask someone to repeat something they have just uttered. Depending on the context, you might use ¿Qué dijiste? to mean "What did you say?" among friends or the shorter ¿Cómo? which means "How?" to prompt someone to repeat themselves in informal conversation.
Which one should you use?
While ¿dijiste? is the standard way to ask if a single person said something, you should use ¿dijeron? if you are addressing a group of people. If you are asking a single person in a formal manner, use ¿dijo? instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb form changes based on who you are addressing: use ¿dijiste? for a single person informally, ¿dijo? for a single person formally and ¿dijeron? when asking a group of people.
Did you know?
- Using ¿Mande? is believed by some historians to have originated from the colonial era, when subordinates were required to signal their readiness to obey a command from a superior.
- The expression ¿Cómo dices? is frequently used in Spain as a more natural alternative to ¿dijiste?, using the present tense to ask about something that was just said in the past.
- If you use the formal ¿dijo? to a person who is much younger than you, it can create a sense of humorous distance or even sarcasm in a social setting.
Examples in context
- ¿Dijiste que vendrías?Did you say you would come?
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are talking in a noisy room.
- ElenaMañana vamos al cine.We are going to the cinema tomorrow.
- Alejandro¿Dijiste? No te escuché bien.Did you say? I didn't hear you well.
- ElenaDije que vamos al cine mañana.I said that we are going to the cinema tomorrow.
- AlejandroAh, perfecto. Me encanta la idea.Oh, perfect. I love the idea.
