Te lo dije
/te lo dixe/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "I told you" is Te lo dije.
Te lo dije is used in the context of "I told you so" or "I said it to you".
Meaning: I told you (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of te (to you), lo (it) and dije (I said/told).
Which one should you use?
While Te lo dije specifically means "I told you", changing Te to Se in the phrase Se lo dije changes the recipient to him, her or them. Additionally, Ya te lo dije translates to "I already told you" and Te lo advertí specifically means "I warned you".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase Te lo dije uses the preterite tense, which indicates that the act of telling is a completed action in the past.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying Te lo dije can be seen as more confrontational than in English, often implying a 'moral victory' over the listener.
- The form dije comes from the Old Spanish dixe, which preserves the Latin 'x' sound before it evolved into the modern 'j'.
- The word lo in this phrase functions as a 'neuter' pronoun, which helps it act as a placeholder for an entire idea or situation rather than just a single object.
Examples in context
- Yo te lo dije.I told you so.Tatoeba #4628111 by Francisco_M, translation #1953138 by CK
- Te lo dije hace un rato.I told you before!Tatoeba #945563 by hayastan, translation #239709 by saeb
- Te lo dije una y otra vez.I told you again and again.Tatoeba #1010315 by Shishir, translation #240554 by sundown
- Doctor, ya se lo advertí: fumar es perjudicial para su salud.Doctor, I warned you already: smoking is harmful to your health.
- Tu amigo llegó tarde a la reunión, ¿verdad? ¡Te lo dije!Your friend arrived late to the meeting, right? I told you so!
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo forgot his umbrella and Maria reminds him.
- MaríaVa a llover, Mateo.It is going to rain, Mateo.
- MateoNo traje el paraguas.I didn't bring the umbrella.
- MaríaTe lo dije esta mañana.I told you this morning.
- MateoTienes razón, lo siento.You are right, I'm sorry.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dije, lo, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
