decir

to say/tell

Spanish Irregular

The Spanish verb "decir" means "to say/tell" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "decir" across all 5 tenses.

Lexi
Lexi's Memory Hack

DECIR: yo DIGO (not "deco"). In the preterite: DIJE — the c disappears entirely. Think: "I DIGO say what I want, DIJE what I said."

Future/conditional stem: dir- (diré, diría). Command form: di (not "dices").

How to Conjugate "decir" in the Present Tense

Presente de indicativo Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
yo I digo
you (informal) dices
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) dice
nosotros we decimos
vosotros you all (Spain) decís
ellos/ustedes they/you all dicen
Ella dice que es tarde.
She says it is late.

How to Conjugate "decir" in the Past (completed) Tense

Pretérito perfecto simple Actions that finished in the past
Person English Conjugation
yo I dije
you (informal) dijiste
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) dijo
nosotros we dijimos
vosotros you all (Spain) dijisteis
ellos/ustedes they/you all dijeron
Ella dijo que estaba cansada.
She said that she was tired.

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How to Conjugate "decir" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Pretérito imperfecto Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
yo I decía
you (informal) decías
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) decía
nosotros we decíamos
vosotros you all (Spain) decíais
ellos/ustedes they/you all decían
Ella decía hola a todos.
She used to say hello to everyone.

How to Conjugate "decir" in the Future Tense

Futuro simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
yo I diré
you (informal) dirás
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) dirá
nosotros we diremos
vosotros you all (Spain) diréis
ellos/ustedes they/you all dirán
Él dirá algo importante hoy.
He will say something important today.

How to Conjugate "decir" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Condicional simple Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
yo I diría
you (informal) dirías
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) diría
nosotros we diríamos
vosotros you all (Spain) diríais
ellos/ustedes they/you all dirían
Él diría que sí.
He would say yes.

Frequently Asked Questions About "decir"

Is "decir" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"Decir" is an irregular Spanish verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "decir" mean in English?
The Spanish verb "decir" means "to say/tell" in English.
How do you conjugate "decir" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente de indicativo): yo → digo, tú → dices, él/ella/usted → dice, nosotros → decimos, vosotros → decís, ellos/ustedes → dicen.
How many tenses does "decir" have in Spanish?
"Decir" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Spanish: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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