Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say 'Say' in Spanish: Decir and Its Key Forms
Decir · verb (irregular) · deh-SEER
Say in Spanish is decir, an irregular verb essential to daily communication. It covers both 'say' and 'tell.' Key irregular forms include digo (I say), dices (you say), dice (he/she says), and the preterite dije (I said). The phrase ¿Cómo se dice...? is the go-to formula for asking how to say something in Spanish.
Decir is deh-SEER, two syllables with stress on SEER. Digo is DEE-goh. Dije is DEE-heh. The c shifts to a g in the yo form (digo) and to a j in the preterite (dije).
¿Cómo se dice 'thank you' en español?
How do you say 'thank you' in Spanish?
Say in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for say, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| decir | say | deh-SEER | Default, widely understood |
| expresar | say | Universal — to express (more formal) | |
| comentar | say | Universal — to remark, mention |
How Native Speakers Use Decir
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Asking for a translation
¿Cómo se dice 'airport' en español? — Se dice aeropuerto.
How do you say 'airport' in Spanish? — You say aeropuerto.
¿Cómo se dice...? is an impersonal reflexive construction. Se dice literally means 'it is said' or 'one says.'
Reporting speech
Mi jefe me dijo que la reunión se canceló.
My boss told me the meeting was canceled.
Decir can mean 'tell' when it has an indirect object (me dijo = told me). The preterite dijo is irregular and must be memorized.
Giving instructions
Dime la verdad, por favor.
Tell me the truth, please.
The affirmative tú imperative of decir is di (irregular). When adding a pronoun, it attaches: di + me = dime.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Decir
Conjugating decir as regular
Incorrect: Yo deco la verdad siempre.
Correct: Yo digo la verdad siempre.
Decir is irregular in the present tense. The yo form is digo, not *deco. The stem change from ec to ig only occurs in the first person singular present.
Using decir without an indirect object for 'tell'
Incorrect: Él dijo ella la respuesta.
Correct: Él le dijo la respuesta (a ella).
When decir means 'tell someone something,' the person being told needs an indirect object pronoun (le). The prepositional phrase a ella is optional but the pronoun le is required.
Lock in Say Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Decir used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using decir in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear ¿Cómo se dice 'thank you' en español? while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
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Common Questions About Say in Spanish
- What is the difference between decir and hablar?
- Decir means to say or tell specific words or information. Hablar means to speak or talk in general. You hablas español (you speak Spanish) but dices algo (you say something). Decir transmits content; hablar describes the act of speaking.
- How do you conjugate decir in the preterite?
- The preterite of decir is fully irregular: dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron. Note the j in every form and the absence of the usual preterite accent marks. These forms must be memorized.
- What does 'es decir' mean?
- Es decir is a common phrase meaning 'that is to say' or 'in other words.' It functions like a discourse marker to introduce a clarification or rephrasing: Es vegano, es decir, no come ningún producto animal (He's vegan, that is, he doesn't eat any animal products).