Decir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

decir — to say — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Decir means to say and to tell. It is a go-verb (digo) with the irregular preterite dije and the future stem dir-, and its participle is dicho. It introduces reported speech (dice que…), gives instructions, and appears in everyday phrases like decir la verdad and es decir. On this page you will find decir in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with decir

In the present tense

  • “Yo digo la verdad siempre.” — “I always tell the truth.”
  • “Ella dice que viene mañana.” — “She says she is coming tomorrow.”
  • “Nosotros decimos buenos días al entrar.” — “We say good morning when we come in.”
  • “Ellos dicen muchas cosas interesantes.” — “They say many interesting things.”
  • “¿Tú dices algo o te callas?” — “Are you going to say something or stay quiet?”
  • “Vosotros decís tonterías a veces.” — “You talk nonsense sometimes.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo dije la verdad al juez.” — “Yesterday I told the truth to the judge.”
  • “Ella dijo que no podía venir.” — “She said she could not come.”
  • “Nosotros dijimos adiós a nuestros amigos.” — “We said goodbye to our friends.”
  • “Ellos dijeron que el tren salía a las ocho.” — “They said the train left at eight.”
  • “¿Tú dijiste algo importante en la reunión?” — “Did you say anything important in the meeting?”
  • “El profesor dijo que el examen era fácil.” — “The teacher said the exam was easy.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo decía la verdad en la reunión.” — “As a child, I used to say the truth in the meeting.”
  • “Mañana, yo diré la verdad en la reunión.” — “Tomorrow, I will say the truth in the meeting.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo diría la verdad en la reunión.” — “If I could, I would say the truth in the meeting.”
  • “Yo he dicho la verdad en la reunión.” — “I have said the truth in the meeting.”

Decir in context

Cada día, yo digo la verdad en la reunión. Mi amigo también dice la verdad en la reunión cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo digo la verdad de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de decir es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo dije la verdad en la reunión. Mi amigo dijo la verdad en la reunión también, y por la noche yo dije la verdad otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de decir aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with decir

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo deco la verdad.

Right: Yo digo la verdad.

The yo form is digo — decir is a go-verb, not deco.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Ayer yo decí que no.

Right: Ayer yo digo que no.

The preterite is dije, from the irregular dij- stem, never decí.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Using the plain stem instead of the changed stem.

Right: Use the changed stem in the stressed forms: digo.

The e → i stem change applies to decir in the present — the yo form is digo, not the infinitive stem.

Mistake 4

Wrong: Treating decir as a regular verb.

Right: Learn the irregular forms: present digo, preterite dije.

decir is irregular — its present and preterite do not follow the regular endings, so they have to be memorised as a set.

Quiz: decir in everyday use

Ten questions on decir across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of decir in the present tense?

  • A) digo
  • B) dices
  • C) dice
  • D) decimos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is digo.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of decir in the present tense?

  • A) digo
  • B) dices
  • C) decimos
  • D) dice

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is dice.

3. What is the yo form of decir in the preterite?

  • A) dijo
  • B) dijimos
  • C) dije
  • D) dijiste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is dije.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of decir in the preterite?

  • A) dijo
  • B) dijeron
  • C) dije
  • D) dijiste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is dijeron.

5. What is the yo form of decir in the imperfect?

  • A) decía
  • B) decías
  • C) decía
  • D) decíamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is decía.

6. What is the tú form of decir in the future?

  • A) diré
  • B) dirá
  • C) diremos
  • D) dirás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is dirás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of decir in the conditional?

  • A) dirías
  • B) diríamos
  • C) diría
  • D) diría

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is diría.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of decir in the present perfect?

  • A) ha dicho
  • B) hemos dicho
  • C) he dicho
  • D) has dicho

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos dicho.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ la verdad siempre.” (I always tell the truth.)

  • A) digo
  • B) dices
  • C) dice
  • D) decimos

Answer: A — The sentence needs digo.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo digo la verdad.
  • B) Yo deco la verdad.

Answer: A — The yo form is digo — decir is a go-verb, not deco.

Frequently asked questions

What does decir mean?

decir means “to say” in English. Decir means to say and to tell. It is a go-verb (digo) with the irregular preterite dije and the future stem dir-, and its participle is dicho. It introduces reported speech (dice que…), gives instructions, and appears in everyday phrases like decir la verdad and es decir.

Is decir regular?

No. decir is an e → i stem-changing irregular -ir verb (irregular in present, preterite, future, conditional, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect, future-perfect, conditional-perfect, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative). It is irregular in present, preterite, future, conditional, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect, future-perfect, conditional-perfect, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative, and those forms have to be learnt as a set rather than built by rule. The full conjugation page shows every tense.

When do I use decir in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — dije, dijiste, dijo — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — decía, decías, decía — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to decir as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise decir?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Decir Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for decir to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo digo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo dije…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo diré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

Related pages