di lo que piensas
/di lo ke pjensas/from spelling rules
To speak your mind in Spanish is to say di lo que piensas.
This phrase is used to tell someone to say honestly and directly what they are thinking or feeling. To describe the general concept of speaking one's mind, you can use the infinitive decir lo que uno piensa.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase di lo que piensas literally translates to "say that which you think".
Which one should you use?
While di lo que piensas is a direct command, you can use decir lo que piensas to mean "say what you think". For more sophisticated or professional contexts, you might use Expresar su opinión (to express your opinion) or Manifestar su punto de vista.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes depending on who you are addressing. Use di lo que piensas for an informal singular person (tú). If you are addressing a group of people, use digan lo que piensan.
Did you know?
- If a person speaks their mind too bluntly in Spain, they might be described as directo or sin pelos en la lengua, which means 'without hairs on the tongue'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, telling someone di lo que piensas can be seen as a challenge or a provocation rather than a supportive invitation to be honest.
- The word que in di lo que piensas is a distant relative of the English word 'who'. Both trace their origins back to the same root in Proto-Indo-European.
Examples in context
- Di lo que piensas.Speak your mind.This sentence is useful for practicing the command di lo que piensas.Tatoeba #576588 by Shishir, translation #20316 by lilygilder
- En esta reunión, se les anima a todos a expresar su opinión libremente.In this meeting, everyone is encouraged to speak their mind freely.
- Le invito a manifestar su punto de vista sobre este asunto.I invite you to speak your mind about this matter.
- No te preocupes por ofender, simplemente di lo que piensas.Don't worry about offending, just speak your mind.
- ¿Quieres expresar tu punto de vista sobre el tema?Do you want to speak your mind about the topic?
- En esta conferencia, les pido que expresen su opinión sobre el tema en debate.In this conference, I ask you to speak your mind on the debated topic.
- ¡Vamos, di lo que piensas! No te cortes.Come on, speak your mind! Don't hold back.
- ¿Quieres expresar tu punto de vista sobre el restaurante nuevo? Estoy ansioso por escucharlo.Do you want to share your point of view about the new restaurant? I'm eager to hear it.
- No te cortes.Don't hold back.
- No tengas miedo y di lo que piensas.Don't be afraid and speak your mind.
- Prefiero que me digas la verdad, así que di lo que piensas.I prefer that you tell me the truth, so speak your mind.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are discussing a project at work.
- LucíaJavier, si no estás de acuerdo, di lo que piensas.Javier, if you don't agree, speak your mind.
- JavierNo quiero ser grosero, pero creo que es un error.I don't want to be rude, but I think it's a mistake.
- LucíaAgradezco tu honestidad, es importante para mí.I appreciate your honesty, it is important to me.
- JavierGracias, Lucía, siempre intento ser directo.Thanks, Lucía, I always try to be direct.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries di, lo, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
