me dijo
/me dixo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "told me" is expressed as me dijo.
Used to report that someone gave information to the speaker in the past.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the indirect object pronoun me (to me) and the third-person singular preterite form of decir (to say/tell). Literally, it translates to "to me he/she/it said".
Which one should you use?
While me dijo refers to a specific completed action in the past, me decía is used for habitual or ongoing actions in the past (e.g., 'he used to tell me').
How does it change in a sentence?
The form me dijo is used for the third-person singular, covering 'he told me', 'she told me' and 'it told me'. To change the subject from a single person to multiple people, use the third-person plural form me dijeron. To say 'you told me' in the informal singular (tú), use me dijiste.
Did you know?
- While me dijo translates as 'told me', the verb decir is used in Spanish to express things English speakers would say 'mean'. For example, ¿qué quieres decir? means 'what do you mean?' rather than 'what do you want to say?'
- The phrase me dijo is often used in the expression me dijo el corazón, which means 'my heart told me', used to describe a strong intuitive feeling.
- While 'me dijo' translates to 'he/she/it told me', the word 'dijo' is actually a conjugated form of the Latin verb 'dīcō', which is the distant ancestor of the English word 'dictate'.
Examples in context
- Eso me dijo ella.She told me so herself.This sentence shows how to use me dijo to emphasize that she told you herself.Tatoeba #7964471 by Seael, translation #7382706 by CH
- Me dijo la verdad.He told me the truth.This sentence uses me dijo to report that someone told you the truth.Tatoeba #5132775 by don_ramon, translation #1436302 by CK
- Tom no me dijo nada.Tom told me nothing.This sentence uses me dijo in a negative context to say that someone told you nothing.Tatoeba #2021109 by Shishir, translation #5902963 by CK
- El director me informó sobre la reunión de mañana.The director informed me about tomorrow's meeting.
- Mi jefe me comunicó que tengo una nueva responsabilidad.My boss told me that I have a new responsibility.
- Mi amigo me dijo que la fiesta estuvo genial.My friend told me the party was awesome.
- Mi hermana me contó que viajará a Europa el próximo mes.My sister told me she will travel to Europe next month.
- La vecina me avisó que habrá una venta en el supermercado.The neighbor told me there will be a sale at the supermarket.
- El entrenador sí que me dijo que había entrenamiento hoy.The coach did tell me that there was practice today.
- 381 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are talking about a meeting in a cafe.
- Javier¿Cuándo es la cita?When is the appointment?
- SofíaElla me dijo que es a las tres.She told me it is at three.
- Javier¿Estás segura?Are you sure?
- SofíaSí, ella me dijo eso.Yes, she told me that.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dijo, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
