Decir Preterite Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The preterite of decir — to say — is the form you need for finished actions in the past. 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. This page gives you the complete preterite table for decir, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Ayer yo dije la verdad al juez.” — “Yesterday I told the truth to the judge”.

Preterite conjugation of decir

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for decir. 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), so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.

Preterite indicative — decir

Person Form
yo dije
tú dijiste
él/ella/Ud. dijo
nosotros/as dijimos
vosotros/as dijisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. dijeron

The gerund of decir is diciendo and the past participle is dicho. The participle matters here because the preterite is often confused with the perfect tenses — keep them apart.

How the preterite of decir is formed

The preterite of decir does not follow the regular pattern. If decir were regular, the preterite forms would be yo → decí, tú → deciste, él/ella/Ud. → deció, nosotros/as → decimos, vosotros/as → decisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → decieron — but decir breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis and dijeron.

The preterite stem here is dij-, which you cannot get from the infinitive by rule — it has to be learnt as part of the verb. The endings then attach to that stem: dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis and dijeron. This is the same pattern the verb follows in the imperfect subjunctive, which is built on the preterite third-person plural, so learning the preterite pays twice.

A note on spelling: none of the preterite forms of decir carries a written accent, which is one less thing to memorise — but do not add one by habit. Copy the forms from the table above exactly as written.

When to use the preterite of decir

1. Completed actions at a specific time

Use the preterite for an action that started and finished in the past. For example, with decir: “Ayer yo dije la verdad al juez.” — “Yesterday I told the truth to the judge”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. A sequence of actions

Use the preterite to list one finished action after another. For example, with decir: “Ella dijo que no podía venir.” — “She said she could not come”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. Actions that interrupt an ongoing situation

Use the preterite for the action that breaks into a longer background scene. For example, with decir: “Nosotros dijimos adiós a nuestros amigos.” — “We said goodbye to our friends”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Sudden changes and achievements

Use the preterite for a change of state or something achieved at one moment. For example, with decir: “Ellos dijeron que el tren salía a las ocho.” — “They said the train left at eight”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Preterite vs imperfect: decir finished, decir in progress

The preterite and the imperfect are the two past tenses, and choosing between them is the hardest decision in Spanish past-tense grammar. The preterite is for what happened and finished; the imperfect is for what was happening, what used to happen, and the background. Compare the pairs below — the preterite form comes from this page, the imperfect form from the full conjugation table.

  • Preterite tense: “Ayer yo dije la verdad.” — “Yesterday I said the truth.”

  • Imperfect: “De niño, yo decía la verdad.” — “As a child, I used to say the truth.”

  • Preterite tense: “Ella dijo la verdad a las ocho.” — “She said the truth at eight.”

  • Imperfect: “Ella decía la verdad cada día.” — “She used to say the truth every day.”

  • Preterite tense: “Nosotros dijimos la verdad el sábado.” — “We said the truth on Saturday.”

  • Imperfect: “Nosotros decíamos la verdad todos los sábados.” — “We used to say the truth every Saturday.”

Example sentences: decir in the preterite

Six sentences using only the preterite of decir, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “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.”

Common mistakes with decir in the preterite

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo deco la verdad.

Right: Yo dije 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 dije que no.

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

Mistake 3

Wrong: Using the plain stem in a stressed form.

Right: Use the changed stem: dije.

The e → i stem change applies to the stressed forms of decir — the yo form is dije, not the plain stem.

Quiz: decir in the preterite

Eight questions on the preterite of decir. Answers with explanations follow each question.

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

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

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

2. What is the tú form of decir in the preterite?

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

Answer: D — The tú form in the preterite is dijiste.

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of decir in the preterite?

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

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite is dijo.

4. What is the nosotros/as form of decir in the preterite?

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

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the preterite is dijimos.

5. Fill in the blank: “Ayer yo ___ la verdad al juez.” (Yesterday I told the truth to the judge.)

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

Answer: A — The sentence needs dije.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ que no podía venir.” (She said she could not come.)

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

Answer: D — The sentence needs dijo.

7. Which sentence is correct?

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

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

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Ayer yo dije que no.
  • B) Ayer yo decí que no.

Answer: A — The preterite is dije, from the irregular dij- stem, never decí.

Frequently asked questions

Is decir regular in the preterite?

No. decir is irregular in the preterite: the forms are dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis and dijeron. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.

What is the yo form of decir in the preterite?

It is dije. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for decir it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the preterite of decir instead of the present?

Use the preterite when the action is finished and tied to a specific moment — yesterday, last week, at eight o’clock. If the action was ongoing, habitual, or just background to another event, the imperfect is the right choice, not the preterite.

How can I remember the preterite forms of decir?

Say the six forms aloud in order — dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and 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.

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