dire
/diʁ/
The English phrase 'tell' is translated into French as dire.
The verb dire is the most common way to convey the general meaning of 'tell' in French.
Meaning: to pass information (verb)
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which distinguishes between 'say' and 'tell', French uses dire for both 'to say' and 'to tell'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to indicate the person being told something, dire requires the preposition à (to tell something to someone). In the present tense, the third-person singular form is dit. If you are using the imperative singular form, use dis.
How do you pronounce it?
/diʁ/
Did you know?
- The English word 'dictator' shares the same ancient linguistic ancestor as the French dire, linking the act of speaking with the exercise of absolute power.
- When a French speaker says Je vous dirai ça, they might not be promising to tell you information, but rather that they will give you a final decision or verdict later.
- French distinguishes between dire and raconter when 'telling' a story, where raconter is used specifically for narratives and anecdotes.
Examples in context
- Je veux lui dire.I want to tell him.Tatoeba #10944391 by lbdx, translation #3908367 by CH
- Tu dois lui dire.You have to tell him.Tatoeba #11217793 by lbdx, translation #3157790 by DJ_Saidez
- Me le direz-vous ?Will you tell me?Tatoeba #1474682 by sacredceltic, translation #250189 by CK
- Pouvez-vous me dire l'heure?Can you tell me the time?
- Il m'a dit de venir plus tôt.He told me to come earlier.
- Il a raconté une blague.He told a joke.
- Raconte-moi tout!Tell me everything!
- Dis-leur de venir ici.Tell them to come here.
- 1503 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are discussing a secret in the kitchen.
- ManonGabriel, tu dois lui dire pour la fête.Gabriel, you must tell her about the party.
- GabrielJe ne peux pas lui dire maintenant.I cannot tell her right now.
- ManonPourquoi ne pas lui dire tout de suite ?Why not tell her right away?
- GabrielJe lui dirai demain matin.I will tell her tomorrow morning.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tell” translations and entries dire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
