¿quién dijo eso?
The English phrase "who said that?" is translated into Spanish as ¿quién dijo eso?
This phrase is a question used to ask which person spoke a particular set of words.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of quién (who), dijo (said) and eso (that).
Which one should you use?
Use eso for a general "that" (an idea or a statement), whereas aquello would be used for something much more distant in time or space.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the question must be enclosed by both an opening and a closing question mark. The word dijo is the third-person singular preterite form of the verb decir (to say).
Did you know?
- If you are asking about more than one person, you must change the entire phrase to ¿quiénes dijeron eso? Unlike English, the question word quién must agree in number with the answer you expect.
- While the phrase uses the verb decir, Spanish has a completely different verb, contar, specifically for when someone 'says' a story or recounts an event.
- The verb dijo shares a common ancestor with the English word 'dictate' and 'dictionary'. Both come from the Latin 'dicere', which means 'to say' or 'to speak'.
Examples in context
- ¿Quién dijo eso sobre el proyecto?Who said that about the project?
- ¿Quién dijo eso de mí?Who said that about me?
- Oye, ¿quién dijo eso?Hey, who said that?
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are sitting in a quiet cafe.
- JavierEscuché un rumor, ¿quién dijo eso?I heard a rumor, who said that?
- ElenaNo estoy segura de quién fue.I am not sure who it was.
- JavierFue algo muy extraño.It was something very strange.
- ElenaNo te preocupes por eso, Javier.Don't worry about that, Javier.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dijo, eso, quién, CC BY-SA 4.0.
