decirte
/deθiɾte/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'tell you' is translated into Spanish as decirte.
The phrase is used when you intend to give information or speak to someone. It can be used in a direct and relaxed manner to convey a message to a listener.
What does it mean word for word?
The word decirte is a combination of the verb decir (to tell) and the enclitic pronoun te (you).
Which one should you use?
While decirte is used for an informal 'you', the form decirle is used to mean 'to tell him', 'to tell her' or 'to tell you' in a formal sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the object pronoun te is attached to the end of the infinitive decir to form decirte.
How do you pronounce it?
/deθiɾte/
Did you know?
- In Spain, you may hear decirte pronounced with a 'th' sound as /deθiɾte/, but in Latin America it is pronounced with an 's' sound as /desiɾte/.
- While English uses 'tell' and 'say' as distinct verbs, Spanish uses decir for both, making the choice of 'decirte' much more versatile than its English counterpart.
- If you want to say 'to tell you' to a group of people, you cannot use decirte or decirle, but must use deciros in Spain or decirles in Latin America.
Examples in context
- No sé qué decirte.I don't know what to tell you.This sentence shows how to express not knowing what to say to someone using decirte.Tatoeba #2094476 by Shishir, translation #2094472 by LanguageExpert
- Voy a decirte algo.I'm going to tell you something.This sentence is useful for stating an intention to tell someone something using decirte.Tatoeba #2069373 by hayastan, translation #2064879 by CK
- No puedo decirte nada.I can't tell you anything.This sentence demonstrates how to say you cannot tell someone anything using decirte.Tatoeba #2306569 by hayastan, translation #2303632 by CK
- Le voy a decir los detalles de la reunión.I will tell you the details of the meeting.
- Quiero comunicarle la decisión final.I want to tell you the final decision.
- Voy a contarte un chiste muy gracioso.I'm going to tell you a very funny joke.
- Te voy a decir lo que pasó en la fiesta.I'm going to tell you what happened at the party.
- 99 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are discussing a secret plan.
- LucíaTengo un secreto y quiero decirte todo.I have a secret and I want to tell you everything.
- Alejandro¿Estás segura de que puedo saberlo?Are you sure that I can know it?
- LucíaSí, puedo decirte ahora mismo.Yes, I can tell you right now.
- AlejandroPerfecto, Lucía, soy todo oídos.Perfect, Lucía, I'm all ears.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
