What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the indirect object pronoun te (to you) and the verb decir (to say/tell) conjugated in the future tense as diré (I will say). Literally, it means "to you I will say".
Which one should you use?
While te diré uses the future tense to promise information at a later time, te digo uses the present tense to express "I tell you" or "I'm telling you" in the moment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, when you are telling a group of people in an informal setting (the vosotros form), use os diré. In Latin America, or when using the formal ustedes form in Spain, use les diré to address a group.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun used for "you" must change based on the person you are addressing. If you are speaking to someone using the formal usted, you must change the pronoun from te to le (e.g., le diré). To address multiple people using the formal ustedes, the pronoun becomes les (e.g., les diré).
How do you pronounce it?
/te diɾe/
When do people say it?
The phrase Ya te diré is an informal idiomatic expression that translates to "I'll tell you later" or "I'll let you know".
Did you know?
- While te diré means 'I will tell you', Spanish often uses the phrase te cuento ('I count you') to mean 'I will tell you a story' or 'let me tell you what happened'.
- In some contexts, ya te diré can carry a subtle tone of warning, suggesting that the speaker will hold the other person accountable later.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, ya te diré is often used as a polite way to avoid giving a definitive 'yes' or 'no' to an invitation.
Examples in context
- Te diré el resto mañana.I will tell you the rest tomorrow.This example shows how to use te diré to promise to provide information the next day.Tatoeba #3145278 by marcelostockle, translation #71673 by CK
- Dime lo que comes y te diré quién eres.Tell me what you eat, I will tell you who you are.This sentence uses te diré to show a cause-and-effect relationship between eating and identity.Tatoeba #1000168 by Shishir, translation #5067644 by Adelpa
- Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.This sentence uses te diré to link a person's companions to their character.Tatoeba #721844 by Shishir, translation #865306 by Swift
- Te lo diré más tarde.I will tell you later.
- Voy a decirte la verdad.I am going to tell you the truth.
- Te lo cuento en un rato.I will tell you in a moment.
- Ya te diré cómo salió el plan.I'll tell you how the plan went later.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking about a surprise party.
- MateoNo puedo hablar de eso ahora.I cannot talk about that now.
- Elena¿Cuándo sabré la verdad?When will I know the truth?
- MateoTe diré todo el lunes.I will tell you everything on Monday.
- ElenaEstá bien, Mateo, esperaré.Okay, Mateo, I will wait.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
