Decir Conjugation Chart & Full Tense Guide

Spanish verb conjugation can seem daunting, especially when faced with irregular verbs like “decir”.

The bad news? This Spanish verb meaning “to say/tell” is one of the most irregular verbs in Spanish. The good news? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the conjugation of “decir” in every form.  

I’m James, the founder of Learn Spanish With James, and in this post I’ll take you through various tenses with examples of how to use these conjugated forms in context. You will also find their respective English translations.

From its irregular forms to mastering its usage and conjugations in various contexts, this guide explains how to conjugate ”decir” and aims to help learners seeking clarity on one of the most common verbs in Spanish.

Across this site, I have provided conjugation help for hundreds of verbs. If you have suggestions, advice, or require further help, please feel free to reach out to me.

We’ll start with the present tense.

Present Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	digo
you	tú	dices
he/she/it/you (formal)	él, ella, usted	dice
we	nosotros, nosotras	decimos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	decís
they, you (pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	dicen

When We Use The Present Tense

The present tense in Spanish is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions, express general truths, or convey immediate thoughts and feelings.

It’s used when discussing what someone is currently saying or telling, as well as when conveying indirect speech or reported information.

“Decir” is an irregular verb, and in the present tense this is apparent in the first person singular form.

Examples of the Present Tense Conjugation

• Yo digo la verdad. (I tell the truth.)
• Tú dices cosas interesantes. (You say interesting things.)
• Él dice que es médico. (He says he is a doctor.)
• Ella dice que es muy inteligente. (She says she is very intelligent.)
• Nosotros decimos que somos compañeros de clase. (We say we are classmates.)
• Vosotros decís que sois los ganadores. (You all say you are the winners.)
• Ellos dicen que son hermanos. (They say they are brothers.)
• Ustedes dicen que son muy amables. (You say you are very kind.)
• Eso es como decir que no quieres ser un león. (That’s like saying you don’t want to be a lion.)
• Ella era una especie de fuerza, se puede decir . (She was a kind of force, one can say.)
• No podemos decir que él es solo un pobre hombre. (We can’t say that he is only a poor man.)

Preterite Tense 

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	dije
you	tú	dijiste
he, she. it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	dijo
we	nosotros, nosotras	dijimos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	dijisteis
they, you (pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	dijeron

When We Use The Preterite Tense Conjugations

The preterite tense in Spanish is typically used to denote actions or events that occurred in the past and are viewed as completed or finite.

For instance, we use the preterite tense of “decir” to describe specific statements or conversations that were made at a particular point in time.

Examples of the “Decir” Conjugation in the Preterite Tense

• Yo dije la verdad. (I told the truth.)
• Tú dijiste cosas interesantes. (You said interesting things.)
• Él dijo que era médico. (He said he was a doctor.)
• Ella dijo que era muy inteligente. (She said she was very intelligent.)
• Nosotros dijimos que éramos compañeros de clase. (We said we were classmates.)
• Vosotros dijisteis que erais los ganadores. (You all said you were the winners.)
• Ellos dijeron que eran hermanos. (They said they were brothers.)
• Ustedes dijeron que eran muy amables. (You said you were very kind.)

Imperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	decía
you	tú	decías
he, she, it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	decía
we	nosotros, nosotras	decíamos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	decíais
they, you(pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	decían

When We Use The Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense in Spanish is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as to set the scene or provide background information.

It’s employed when narrating events that were habitual, continuous, or ongoing in the past, without a specific endpoint.

For instance, “decía” (I used to say) or “decíamos” (we were saying) are forms of the imperfect tense of “decir” used to describe ongoing or habitual actions or states in the past, providing context to the narrative or expressing what was happening at a certain point in time.

Examples of the “Decir” Conjugation in the Imperfect Tense

• Yo decía la verdad siempre. (I used to tell the truth always.)
• Tú decías cosas interesantes. (You used to say interesting things.)
• Él decía que era médico. (He used to say he was a doctor.)
• Ella decía que era muy inteligente. (She used to say she was very intelligent.)
• Nosotros decíamos que éramos compañeros de clase. (We used to say we were classmates.)
• Vosotros decíais que erais los ganadores. (You all used to say you were the winners.)
• Ellos decían que eran hermanos. (They used to say they were brothers.)
• Ustedes decían que eran muy amables. (You used to say you were very kind.)

Future Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	diré
you	tú	dirás
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	dirá
we	nosotros,nosotras	diremos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	diréis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	dirán

When We Use The Future Tense

The future tense of the Spanish verb “decir” is used to express actions or events that will happen in the future and when talking about plans, intentions, predictions, or promises.

For instance, “diré” (I will say) or “dirás” (you will say) are forms of the future tense of “decir” used to indicate what someone will express or communicate at some point later on.

Another way to express the future with this Spanish verb would be “Yo voy a decir,” using ”voy” and the infinitive form of ”decir.”

Examples of the “Decir” Conjugation in the Future Tense

• Yo diré la verdad siempre. (I will always tell the truth.)
• Tú dirás cosas interesantes. (You will say interesting things.)
• Él dirá que es médico. (He will say he is a doctor.)
• Ella dirá que es muy inteligente. (She will say she is very intelligent.)
• Nosotros diremos que somos compañeros de clase. (We will say we are classmates.)
• Vosotros diréis que sois los ganadores. (You all will say you are the winners.)
• Ellos dirán que son hermanos. (They will say they are brothers.)
• Ustedes dirán que son muy amables. (You will say you are very kind.)

Conditional Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	diría
you	tú	dirías
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	diría
we	nosotros,nosotras	diríamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	diríais
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	dirían

When We Use The Conditional

The conditional tense in Spanish for the verb “decir” is used to express what someone would say or tell in hypothetical or speculative situations.

It’s employed to convey polite requests, hypothetical outcomes, or uncertain events. For example, “diría” (I would say) or “dirías” (you would say) are forms of the conditional tense of “decir” used to express what someone might express or communicate under certain conditions or circumstances.

Examples of the Conditional Tense

• Yo diría la verdad si supiera lo que realmente pasó. (I would tell the truth if I knew what really happened.)
• Tú dirías cosas más interesantes si te animaras a hablar más. (You would say more interesting things if you dared to speak more.)
• Él diría que sí si le pidieras ayuda. (He would say yes if you asked him for help.)
• Ella diría que no si le ofrecieras algo que no le gusta. (She would say no if you offered her something she doesn’t like.)
• Nosotros diríamos que sí si nos convencieras de los beneficios. (We would say yes if you convinced us of the benefits.)
• Vosotros diríais que no si supierais las consecuencias. (You all would say no if you knew the consequences.)
• Ellos dirían que tienen razón aunque no la tengan. (They would say they are right even if they are not.)
• Ustedes dirían que están de acuerdo para evitar conflictos. (You would say you agree to avoid conflicts.)
• ¿Quién podría decir algo después de un beso como ese?

Preterite Perfect Tense 

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	he	dicho
you	tú	has	dicho
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	ha	dicho
we	nosotros,nosotras	hemos	dicho
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habéis	dicho
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	han	dicho

When We Use The Preterite Perfect Tense

The preterite perfect tense is used to express actions or events that were completed in the past and have a direct relevance to the present moment.

This is like the present perfect tense and it describes actions that occurred at a specific point in the past and have an impact on the present situation or ongoing state.

For example, “he dicho” (I have said) or “has dicho” (you have said) are forms of the preterite perfect tense of “decir” used to indicate that someone has communicated something in the past, with implications for the present.

Examples of the “Decir” Conjugation in the Preterite Perfect

• Yo he dicho la verdad desde el principio. (I had told the truth from the beginning.)
• Tú has dicho cosas importantes durante la conversación. (You had said important things during the conversation.)
• Él ha dicho que iba a venir, pero nunca apareció. (He had said he was going to come, but he never showed up.)
• Ella ha dicho que había olvidado su contraseña. (She had said she had forgotten her password.)
• Nosotros hemos dicho que íbamos a llegar temprano, pero nos retrasamos. (We had said we were going to arrive early, but we were delayed.)
• Vosotros habéis dicho que ya habíais terminado el trabajo. (You all had said you had already finished the work.)
• Ellos han dicho que conocían el camino, pero se perdieron. (They had said they knew the way, but they got lost.)
• Ustedes han dicho que no tenían planes para el fin de semana. (You had said you didn’t have plans for the weekend.)

Pluperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	había	dicho
you	tú	habías	dicho
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	había	dicho
we	nosotros,nosotras	habíamos	dicho
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habíais	dicho
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habían	dicho

When We Use The Pluperfect Tense

The pluperfect tense is used to express actions or events that had already been completed before another past action or event.

For example, “había dicho” (I had said) or “habías dicho” (you had said) are forms of the pluperfect tense of the Spanish verb “decir” used to indicate that someone had communicated something before a specified past event.

Examples of the Pluperfect 

• Yo había dicho que iba a llegar tarde, pero al final llegué a tiempo. (I had said I was going to arrive late, but in the end, I arrived on time.)
• Tú habías dicho que ya habías terminado tu tarea antes de salir. (You had said you had already finished your homework before leaving.)
• Él había dicho que había olvidado su libro en casa. (He had said he had forgotten his book at home.)
• Ella había dicho que había perdido el tren anterior. (She had said she had missed the previous train.)
• Nosotros habíamos dicho que habíamos reservado una mesa en el restaurante. (We had said we had reserved a table at the restaurant.)
• Vosotros habíais dicho que habíais encontrado las llaves en el bolsillo. (You all had said you had found the keys in your pocket.)
• Ellos habían dicho que habían visto al sospechoso cerca del lugar del crimen. (They had said they had seen the suspect near the crime scene.)
• Ustedes habían dicho que habían recibido el correo electrónico con las instrucciones. (You had said you had received the email with the instructions.)

Future Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	habré	dicho
you	tú	habrás	dicho
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habrá	dicho
we	nosotros,nosotras	habremos	dicho
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habréis	dicho
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrán	dicho

When We Use The Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is used to express actions or events that will have been completed by a certain point in the future.

It’s employed to describe actions that will have occurred before another future event, providing a sense of anticipation or expectation regarding their completion.

For example, “habré dicho” (I will have said) or “habrás dicho” (you will have said) are forms of the future perfect tense of “decir” used to indicate that someone will have communicated something by a specified future time.

Examples of the Future Perfect 

• Yo habré dicho la verdad antes de que sea demasiado tarde. (I will have told the truth before it’s too late.)
• Tú habrás dicho todo lo que necesitabas decir cuando llegue el momento. (You will have said everything you needed to say when the time comes.)
• Él habrá dicho adiós a su viejo estilo de vida cuando comience su nueva carrera. (He will have said goodbye to his old lifestyle when he starts his new career.)
• Ella habrá dicho que sí a la propuesta de matrimonio antes de que termine el año. (She will have said yes to the marriage proposal before the year ends.)
• Nosotros habremos dicho nuestras promesas de amor eterno en la ceremonia de la boda. (We will have said our vows of eternal love at the wedding ceremony.)
• Vosotros habréis dicho todo lo que queríais expresar durante la reunión. (You all will have said everything you wanted to express during the meeting.)
• Ellos habrán dicho sus disculpas antes de que la situación empeore. (They will have said their apologies before the situation worsens.)
• Ustedes habrán dicho sus opiniones sobre el asunto antes de que se tome una decisión final. (You will have said your opinions on the matter before a final decision is made.)

Conditional Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	habría	dicho
you	tú	habrías	dicho
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habría	dicho
we	nosotros,nosotras	habríamos	dicho
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habríais	dicho
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrían	dicho

When We Use The Conditional Perfect Tense

The conditional perfect tense in Spanish is used to express what someone would have said in hypothetical or speculative situations that are in the past relative to another past event.

It conveys actions or events that would have been completed before a specified point in the past had certain conditions been met.

For instance, “habría dicho” (I would have said) or “habrías dicho” (you would have said) are forms of the conditional perfect tense of “decir” formed with ”haber” and the past participle.

Examples of the Conditional Perfect 

• Yo habría dicho la verdad si hubiera sabido la situación completa. (I would have told the truth if I had known the full situation.)
• Tú habrías dicho algo diferente si te hubieras dado cuenta antes. (You would have said something different if you had realized earlier.)
• Él habría dicho que sí si hubiera tenido más tiempo para pensarlo. (He would have said yes if he had had more time to think about it.)
• Ella habría dicho que no si hubiera entendido las consecuencias. (She would have said no if she had understood the consequences.)
• Nosotros habríamos dicho nuestras preocupaciones si hubiéramos tenido la oportunidad. (We would have said our concerns if we had had the opportunity.)
• Vosotros habríais dicho vuestro punto de vista si hubierais sido consultados. (You all would have said your point of view if you had been consulted.)
• Ellos habrían dicho la verdad si hubieran sido presionados más. (They would have told the truth if they had been pressured more.)
• Ustedes habrían dicho su opinión si hubieran sido escuchados. (You would have said your opinion if you had been listened to.)

Present Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	diga
you	tú	digas
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	diga
we	nosotros,nosotras	digamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	digáis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	digan

When We Use The Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive is used to express subjective actions, desires, or doubts in the present tense, often following certain triggers such as wishes, recommendations, or demands.

For example, “diga” (may he/she say) or “digamos” (let’s say) are forms of the present subjunctive of “decir” used in sentences where the action of saying something is uncertain or dependent on another factor.

Examples of the Present Subjunctive Conjugations

• Es importante que yo diga la verdad en todo momento. (It’s important that I tell the truth at all times.)
• Quiero que tú digas lo que realmente piensas. (I want you to say what you really think.)
• Es necesario que él diga sus intenciones claramente. (It’s necessary that he says his intentions clearly.)
• Espero que ella diga sí cuando le propongas matrimonio. (I hope that she says yes when you propose to her.)
• Deseamos que nosotros digamos nuestras opiniones sin temor y sin dañar su reputación. (We wish that we say our opinions without fear and without damaging his reputation.)
• Prefiero que vosotros digáis la respuesta correcta. (I prefer that you all say the correct answer.)
• Es bueno que ellos digan lo que sienten sin reservas. (It’s good that they say what they feel without reservations.)
• Quiero que ustedes digan si están de acuerdo con la propuesta. (I want you to say if you agree with the proposal.)

Imperfect Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	dijera, dijese
you	tú	dijeras, dijeses
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	dijera, dijese
we	nosotros,nosotras	dijéramos, dijésemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	dijerais, dijeseis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	dijeran, dijesen

When We Use The Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive tense in Spanish is used to express wishes, desires, possibilities, or doubts in the past.

It’s employed when the action or event is uncertain, hypothetical, or subjective, and it typically appears in dependent clauses following certain triggers such as expressions of desire, doubt, or possibility.

For example, “dijera” (he/she said) or “dijéramos” (we said) are forms of the imperfect subjunctive of “decir” used in sentences where the action of saying something is uncertain or dependent on another factor in the past.

Examples of the Imperfect Subjunctive

• Quería que yo dijera la verdad en todo momento. (I wanted to tell the truth at all times.)
• Te sugerí que tú dijeras lo que realmente pensabas. (I suggested you should say what you really thought.)
• Era importante que él dijera sus opiniones sin temor. (It was important that he told us his opinions without fear.)
• Deseaba que ella dijera sí cuando le propusieran matrimonio. (I wished she said yes when they proposed to her.)
• Pedíamos que nosotros dijéramos nuestras preocupaciones abiertamente. (We asked that we said our concerns openly.)
• Preferías que vosotros dijerais la verdad en todo momento. (You preferred that you all told the truth at all times.)
• Querían que ellos dijeran lo que realmente sentían. (They wanted them to say what they really felt.)
• Era necesario que ustedes dijeran si estaban de acuerdo con la propuesta. (It was necessary that you said if you agreed with the proposal.)

Preterite Perfect Subjunctive 

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	hubiera,hubiese	dicho
you	tú	hubieras,hubieses	dicho
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	hubiera,hubiese	dicho
we	nosotros,nosotras	hubiéramos,hubiésemos	dicho
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	hubierais,hubieseis	dicho
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	hubieran,hubiesen	dicho

When We Use The Preterite Perfect Subjunctive

The preterite perfect subjunctive is used to express actions that were completed before another past action or event, especially in hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situations.

For instance, “hubiera dicho” (I would have said) implies a condition in the past that didn’t happen. Example: “Si hubiera sabido, le hubiera dicho la verdad” (If I had known, I would have told him the truth).

It indicates an action completed before another action in the past, maintaining a subjunctive mood due to its hypothetical nature.

Examples of the Preterite Perfect Subjunctive

• Quería que yo hubiera dicho la verdad desde el principio. (I wish had told the truth from the beginning.)
• Te sugerí que tú hubieras dicho lo que realmente pensabas. (I suggested you to have said what you really thought.)
• Era importante que él hubiera dicho sus opiniones claramente. (It was important that he had said his opinions clearly.)
• Deseaba que ella hubiera dicho sí cuando le propusieron matrimonio. (I wished she had said yes when they proposed to her.)
• Pedíamos que nosotros hubiéramos dicho nuestras preocupaciones antes. (We asked that we had said our concerns earlier.)
• Preferías que vosotros hubierais dicho la verdad en todo momento. (You preferred that you all had told the truth at all times.)
• Querían que ellos hubieran dicho la verdad desde el principio. (They wanted them to have told the truth from the beginning.)
• Era necesario que ustedes hubieran dicho si estaban de acuerdo con la propuesta. (It was necessary that you had said if you agreed with the proposal.)

Affirmative Imperative

Pronouns	Pronombres
you	tú	¡di!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡diga!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡digamos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡decid!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡digan!

When We Use The Affirmative Imperative

The affirmative imperative in Spanish for the verb “decir” is used to give direct commands or instructions in the affirmative form. It’s employed when instructing someone to say or tell something, issuing orders, or providing guidance.

For example, “¡Di la verdad!” (Say the truth!) or “Diga su nombre” (State your name).

Examples of “Decir” in the Affirmative Imperative

• Di la verdad en todo momento. (Tell the truth at all times.)
• Decid lo que piensan sin miedo. (Say what you think without fear.)
• Diga sus intenciones claramente. (Say your intentions clearly.)
• Decid sí cuando estén listos. (Say yes when you’re ready.)
• Digamos nuestras opiniones sin reservas. (Let’s say our opinions without reservations.)

Negative Imperative

Pronouns	Pronombres
you	tú	¡no digas!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡no diga!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡no digamos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡no digáis!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡no digan!

When We Use The Negative Imperative

The negative imperative is used to give direct commands or instructions in the negative form, indicating what someone should not do.

It’s employed when instructing someone not to say or tell something, prohibiting actions, or giving warnings. For instance, “No digas mentiras” (Don’t tell lies) or “No diga nada a nadie” (Don’t tell anyone).

Examples of “Decir” in the Negative Imperative

• No digas mentiras. (Don’t tell lies.) – Informal singular “tú” form
• No diga mentiras. (Don’t tell lies.) – Formal singular “usted” form
• No digamos mentiras. (Let’s not tell lies.) – 1st person plural “nosotros” form
• No digan mentiras. (Don’t tell lies.) – Formal plural “ustedes” form

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