What is the present subjunctive of decir in Spanish?

The present subjunctive of decir is: diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan. Derived from the yo form digo. The G stays in every form, even nosotros (digamos) and vosotros (digáis).

When does decir que take subjunctive vs. indicative?

Decir que takes the subjunctive when transmitting a command (le digo que venga = I'm telling him to come). It takes the indicative when reporting a statement (le digo que viene = I'm telling him that he's coming). The choice depends on intent: command vs. report.

Why doesn't the G appear in the present indicative nosotros form (decimos)?

The G in digo is specific to the yo form in the present indicative. Other persons (decimos, decís, dicen) use the regular stem dec-. In the subjunctive, however, all forms derive from the yo stem (dig-), so the G is consistent across all six forms.

How do I use subjunctive decir in negative tú commands?

The negative tú command of decir is no digas (don't say / don't tell). It uses the subjunctive form, like all negative informal commands in Spanish. The affirmative tú command is irregular: di (say it!).

How can I learn to use subjunctive decir naturally?

Subjunctive decir appears in countless contexts: telling people to do things, expressing what you hope someone says, doubting statements. Parrot's short-form videos surface these conversational uses repeatedly, so the command and reporting distinctions of decir que become intuitive through exposure.

Spanish grammar · Intermediate

Subjunctive of Decir: All Forms with Examples

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Decir's present subjunctive comes from the yo form digo: diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan. The G stays in every form. The trigger decir que takes subjunctive only when expressing a command or wish, not a report.

Quiero que digas la verdad.

I want you to tell the truth.

What it is

Decir's present subjunctive derives from the irregular yo form digo: diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan. Two things to know: the G stays in every form (digamos, not decimos), and decir que has two different uses, one with indicative (report what someone says) and one with subjunctive (command someone to say something).

In Quiero que digas la verdad (I want you to tell the truth), digas is the tú subjunctive of decir. The wish trigger forces the mood shift.

How to spot it

Look for dig- followed by -a endings: diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan. Used after wishes, doubts, recommendations, or after decir que when commanding (le digo que venga = I'm telling him to come).

Espero que digas que sí. — I hope you say yes.
Le digo que venga. — I'm telling him to come.
Dudo que diga la verdad. — I doubt he'll tell the truth.

The distinction between decir que + indicative (reporting) and decir que + subjunctive (commanding) is one of the most useful subjunctive concepts in Spanish.

Subjunctive of Decir Quick Reference

Present subjunctive of decir, all six forms

Person	Form	Translation
yo	diga	(that) I say/tell
tú	digas	(that) you say/tell
él/ella/Ud.	diga	(that) he, she, you (formal) say/tell
nosotros	digamos	(that) we say/tell
vosotros	digáis	(that) you all say/tell (Spain)
ellos/Uds.	digan	(that) they, you all say/tell

Common Subjunctive of Decir Examples in Spanish

Subjunctive decir shows up in wishes about speech (saying yes, telling the truth), commands transmitted via decir que, doubts about statements, and impersonal evaluations.

Wishes About Speech

Quiero que digas la verdad.: I want you to tell the truth.
Espero que diga que sí.: I hope she says yes.
Deseo que digamos lo mismo.: I wish we'd say the same thing.
Quiere que digas tu opinión.: She wants you to give your opinion.
Esperan que digan algo importante.: They hope they'll say something important.

Wishes about what someone should say or tell others take the subjunctive.

Decir Que as a Command

Le digo que venga.: I'm telling him to come.
Te dice que tengas cuidado.: She's telling you to be careful.
Les digo que hagan silencio.: I'm telling them to be quiet.
Le dije que viniera.: I told him to come.
Nos dicen que esperemos.: They tell us to wait.

When decir que is used to transmit a command (telling someone to DO something), the dependent verb is subjunctive. When decir que is used to report a statement (saying that something IS), the dependent verb is indicative: le digo que viene (I'm telling him that he's coming).

Doubt About Statements

Dudo que diga la verdad.: I doubt he'll tell the truth.
No creo que digan algo nuevo.: I don't think they'll say anything new.
Es posible que diga que no.: It's possible she'll say no.
Puede que diga algo importante.: She might say something important.
Quizás digamos lo mismo.: Maybe we'll say the same thing.

Doubt about what someone will say or whether their statements are true takes the subjunctive.

Impersonal Triggers

Es importante que digas la verdad.: It's important to tell the truth.
Es necesario que diga su nombre.: It's necessary that he say his name.
Es mejor que digamos algo pronto.: It's better that we say something soon.
Es raro que no digan nada.: It's odd that they don't say anything.
Es bueno que digas lo que sientes.: It's good that you say what you feel.

Impersonal expressions evaluating speech (es importante que digas, es bueno que digan) trigger the subjunctive.

How to Form the Subjunctive of Decir

Derive from the Yo Form Digo

Decir's subjunctive uses yo form minus -o plus -a endings. Digo → dig- → diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan. The G is preserved across all six forms.

decir → digo → dig- → diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan.

Standard yo-form-derivation pattern.

Same pattern as tener, hacer, poner, salir, traer, venir.

G Stays in Nosotros and Vosotros

Unlike the present indicative, where decimos / decís lose the G and revert to the e stem (and decís also loses the I→E change), the subjunctive keeps dig- consistently across all forms (digamos, digáis).

Pres. ind.: decimos, decís. Pres. subj.: digamos, digáis.

Subjunctive: G in all six forms.

The dig- stem is more regular than the present indicative's decimos / decís.

Decir Que: Two Meanings

Decir que has two distinct uses with different mood requirements: 1) REPORTING what someone said (le digo que viene = I'm telling him that he's coming) takes the indicative. 2) COMMANDING someone to do something (le digo que venga = I'm telling him to come) takes the subjunctive. The same words differentiate intent: report = indicative, command = subjunctive.

Le digo que viene. (Reporting his arrival.) Le digo que venga. (Telling him to come.)

Indicative reports facts; subjunctive issues commands.

Subjunctive after decir que = you're telling someone to DO something.

Same Triggers as All Subjunctives

Beyond decir que itself, subjunctive of decir responds to all standard W.E.I.R.D.O. triggers: wishes, doubts, emotions, impersonal expressions, recommendations, and ojalá. The trigger + que + diga / digas / digan.

Espero que diga sí. Es importante que digas la verdad.

Wish + subjunctive. Impersonal + subjunctive.

Same trigger rules as any other verb.

Common Mistakes with Subjunctive of Decir

Incorrect: Quiero que dices la verdad. — I want you to tell the truth. (wrong, indicative after querer que)

Correct: Quiero que digas la verdad. — I want you to tell the truth.

After querer que, the dependent verb must be in the subjunctive. Dices is the indicative; digas is the tú subjunctive form derived from the yo form digo.

Incorrect: Le digo que venir mañana. — I'm telling him to come tomorrow. (wrong, infinitive used where subjunctive is required)

Correct: Le digo que venga mañana. — I'm telling him to come tomorrow.

When decir que transmits a command, the dependent verb must be in the subjunctive (venga), not the infinitive (venir). Spanish doesn't use the infinitive after decir que the way English uses to + infinitive after tell someone to.

Incorrect: Me dice que tenga frío. — He's telling me he's cold. (wrong, command form instead of report)

Correct: Me dice que tiene frío. — He's telling me he's cold.

Here, decir que reports a statement (he's cold), not a command. Reporting takes the indicative (tiene), not the subjunctive (tenga). Tenga would mean telling someone to be cold, which makes no sense.

Subjunctive of Decir FAQs

What is the present subjunctive of decir in Spanish?: The present subjunctive of decir is: diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan. Derived from the yo form digo. The G stays in every form, even nosotros (digamos) and vosotros (digáis).
When does decir que take subjunctive vs. indicative?: Decir que takes the subjunctive when transmitting a command (le digo que venga = I'm telling him to come). It takes the indicative when reporting a statement (le digo que viene = I'm telling him that he's coming). The choice depends on intent: command vs. report.
Why doesn't the G appear in the present indicative nosotros form (decimos)?: The G in digo is specific to the yo form in the present indicative. Other persons (decimos, decís, dicen) use the regular stem dec-. In the subjunctive, however, all forms derive from the yo stem (dig-), so the G is consistent across all six forms.
How do I use subjunctive decir in negative tú commands?: The negative tú command of decir is no digas (don't say / don't tell). It uses the subjunctive form, like all negative informal commands in Spanish. The affirmative tú command is irregular: di (say it!).
How can I learn to use subjunctive decir naturally?: Subjunctive decir appears in countless contexts: telling people to do things, expressing what you hope someone says, doubting statements. Parrot's short-form videos surface these conversational uses repeatedly, so the command and reporting distinctions of decir que become intuitive through exposure.