decir
/deˈθiɾ/
To tell in Spanish is decir.
decir is used when you are conveying words or specific information to someone. If you want to express the idea of conveying or communicating information in a more formal setting, you might use comunicar or informar.
Which one should you use?
While decir is used for conveying information or words, contar is the correct verb to use when telling a story, a joke or a sequence of events.
How does it change in a sentence?
When telling something to someone, you can attach an indirect object pronoun to the end of the infinitive, such as forming decirle to mean 'to tell him/her/you (formal)'. Additionally, decir is highly irregular in the preterite tense. For example, the first-person singular form is dije (I said/I told) rather than following standard conjugation patterns.
How do you pronounce it?
/deˈθiɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use decir when you mean 'to tell a lie' or 'to tell a story'. In those cases, using contar is more natural because it captures the narrative aspect of the action.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word decir shares a root with the English word 'dictation' and the Latin word 'dictum'. Both come from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to show' or 'to point out'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the phrase me dijeron (they told me) is used as a conversational hedge to avoid taking personal responsibility for the accuracy of a piece of gossip.
- While an English speaker 'tells' a lie, a Spanish speaker typically uses the specific verb mentir rather than using decir with a noun.
Examples in context
- No sé qué decirte.I don't know what to tell you.This sentence uses decir to show what someone might say to another person.Tatoeba #2094476 by Shishir, translation #2094472 by LanguageExpert
- Te lo iba a decir.I was going to tell you.This sentence shows the use of decir in a past intention.Tatoeba #4551457 by Shishir, translation #3200045 by CK
- No te quería decir.I didn't want to tell you.This sentence demonstrates the use of decir to express a past desire.Tatoeba #2033214 by marcelostockle, translation #2033189 by CK
- El gobierno comunica a la población las nuevas medidas de seguridad.The government informs the population of the new security measures.
- El médico comunica al paciente el diagnóstico de su enfermedad.The doctor communicates the patient's diagnosis.
- La empresa informa a sus accionistas sobre los resultados del trimestre.The company informs its shareholders about the quarterly results.
- El profesor informa a los padres sobre el avance de sus hijos en la escuela.The teacher informs parents about their children's progress in school.
- Le dije a mi mejor amigo que vendría a su fiesta.I told my best friend I would come to his party.
- Le conté a mi amigo sobre mi viaje a la playa.I told my friend about my trip to the beach.
- Conté a mi familia lo divertido que fue el concierto.I told my family how fun the concert was.
- Expresé a mi novio lo mucho que lo quiero.I told my boyfriend how much I love him.
- 336 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are talking in a cafe.
- LucíaTienes que decirme la verdad.You have to tell me the truth.
- JavierNo sé cómo decirte esto.I don't know how to tell you this.
- Lucía¿Qué quieres decir?What do you mean?
- JavierQue me voy de la ciudad.That I am leaving the city.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry decir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries decir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
