Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Decir Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Decir means to say or to tell in Spanish, highly irregular. Yo digo (irregular -go), preterite dije/dijiste/dijo (j-stem), future diré, past participle dicho.
Le digo la verdad.
I'm telling him the truth.
What it is
Decir means to say or to tell. The present is irregular (digo, dices, dice, with e→i stem change for tú/él/ellos). Preterite uses the j-stem (dije, dijiste, dijo), future drops to dir- (diré, dirás), and the past participle is the irregular dicho.
In Le digo la verdad (I'm telling him the truth), digo is the yo form. Decir frequently pairs with indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les) since you tell something to someone.
How to spot it
Look for dig- (yo present + subjunctive), dic- or dij- (other present / preterite), and the irregular past participle dicho in compound tenses (he dicho = I've said).
- ¿Qué dices? — What are you saying?
- Me dijeron la noticia. — They told me the news.
- He dicho lo que pienso. — I've said what I think.
Decir is everywhere in reported speech (Dice que viene = He says he's coming) and short interjections (¡No me digas! = You don't say!).
Decir Conjugation Quick Reference
Decir at a glance, most-used forms across tenses
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | digo | dije | decía | diré | diga |
| tú | dices | dijiste | decías | dirás | digas |
| él/ella/Ud. | dice | dijo | decía | dirá | diga |
| nosotros | decimos | dijimos | decíamos | diremos | digamos |
| vosotros | decís | dijisteis | decíais | diréis | digáis |
| ellos/Uds. | dicen | dijeron | decían | dirán | digan |
Common Decir Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Decir powers reported speech and direct telling. Here are the four contexts where it shows up most.
Telling Information
- Te digo la verdad.
- I'm telling you the truth.
- Me dijo su nombre.
- She told me her name.
- Nos dicen la dirección.
- They're telling us the address.
- ¿Le dijiste la noticia?
- Did you tell him the news?
Decir typically pairs with indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les), you tell something to someone.
Reported Speech (Dice Que...)
- Dice que viene mañana.
- He says he's coming tomorrow.
- Dicen que va a llover.
- They say it's going to rain.
- Me dijo que no podía.
- He told me he couldn't.
Dice que / dijo que is how Spanish handles indirect reporting. The clause after que carries the original message.
Short Interjections
- ¡No me digas!
- You don't say!
- ¿Cómo se dice... en español?
- How do you say... in Spanish?
- Dile que sí.
- Tell him yes.
- Por decir algo.
- Just to say something / for the sake of it.
These are everyday fillers and conversational moves. Memorize them as whole phrases.
Compound (Past Participle Dicho)
- He dicho la verdad.
- I've told the truth.
- Lo dicho, dicho está.
- What's said is said.
- Habíamos dicho antes.
- We had said earlier.
The past participle is the irregular dicho, not the expected decido. Used in all compound tenses.
How to Conjugate Decir Across Tenses
Present, Yo Digo + e→i Stem Change
The yo form is digo (irregular -go ending). Other singular and ellos forms use the e→i stem change: dices, dice, dicen. Nosotros and vosotros keep the regular stem: decimos, decís.
Yo digo, tú dices, ella dice, nosotros decimos, vosotros decís, ellos dicen.
I say, you say, she says, we say, you all say, they say.
Stress hops: digo (irregular), dices / dice / dicen (e→i), decimos / decís (regular). Same shape as pedir, seguir.
Preterite, J-Stem (Dije, Dijiste, Dijo)
The preterite uses the irregular j-stem: dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron. The ellos form is dijeron, not dijieron, because j-stems drop the i in -ieron.
Me dijeron que estabas enfermo.
They told me you were sick.
J-stem family: dije (decir), traje (traer), conduje (conducir). All lose the i in the ellos form.
Future and Conditional, Stem Dir-
Future and conditional drop the c and use dir-: diré, dirás, dirá; diría, dirías, diría. Same shape as hacer → haré.
Te diré la verdad.
I'll tell you the truth.
Diría and haría both lose the medial c in the future/conditional stem, a small family of two.
Past Participle, Dicho (Irregular)
The past participle is the irregular dicho. Used in compound tenses (he dicho) and idioms (lo dicho, dicho).
Has dicho mucho hoy.
You've said a lot today.
Same irregular pattern as hacer → hecho. The c → ch transformation marks both.
Common Mistakes with Decir Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo deco la verdad. — I'm telling the truth. (wrong, yo form is digo, not deco)
Correct: Yo digo la verdad. — I'm telling the truth.
The yo form drops to the irregular digo, same -go pattern as tengo, vengo, hago, pongo.
Incorrect: Ellos dijieron la verdad. — They told the truth. (wrong, extra i)
Correct: Ellos dijeron la verdad. — They told the truth.
J-stem preterites drop the i in the ellos form: dijeron, not dijieron. Same with trajeron and condujeron.
Incorrect: Yo he decido eso. — I've said that. (wrong, past participle is dicho, not decido)
Correct: Yo he dicho eso. — I've said that.
The past participle of decir is the irregular dicho. Decido isn't a word in Spanish.
Decir Across Every Tense
Decir is irregular in present, preterite, future, and past participle. Imperfect is regular.
Present (e→i + irregular yo)
Yo digo + e→i for singular and ellos.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Decimos and decís keep the regular -ec- stem.
Preterite (J-Stem)
Dij- across all forms. Ellos drops the i: dijeron.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
No accents anywhere, defining feature of the j-stem irregular family.
Imperfect (Regular)
Decía / decías / decía / decíamos / decíais / decían.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Decía sets the scene in narration; dije marks a specific past moment.
Future, Conditional, Subjunctive, Past Participle
Future stem dir-. Subjunctive built from digo → dig-. Past participle dicho.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| past participle |
| yo (present perfect) |
Diga is the subjunctive: Quiero que digas la verdad. Diga also serves as the formal usted command.
Decir Conjugation FAQs
- What does decir mean and when do you use it in Spanish?
- Decir means to say or to tell. It pairs frequently with indirect object pronouns (me dice, te digo, le dijeron) since you tell something to someone. Common in reported speech: Dice que viene = He says he's coming.
- How does decir conjugate in the present tense?
- Digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen. The yo form is the irregular digo; tú/él/ella/ellos use the e→i stem change. Nosotros and vosotros keep the regular -ec- stem.
- What's the preterite of decir?
- Dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron. The stem is the irregular dij- (j-stem family with traer and conducir). The ellos form drops the i, dijeron, not dijieron.
- What's the past participle of decir?
- Dicho (irregular). Used in compound tenses: he dicho (I've said), había dicho (I had said). Same irregular pattern as hacer → hecho.
- How can I get better at conjugating decir?
- Exposure to native speakers using decir in reported speech, direct telling, and short interjections is the fastest path. Parrot delivers daily videos featuring digo, dije, dirá, dicho in real contexts, so the irregular forms become automatic.