decir Preterite Conjugation
decir — to say
The preterite of decir is highly irregular, using the 'j' stem: dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron.
decir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite when someone said something at a specific moment in the past. It’s perfect for reporting a specific quote or a one-time conversation that is now over.
Notes on decir in the Preterite
This is a 'J-stem' irregular verb. Note that the 'i' is dropped in the third-person plural (dijeron, not dijieron) and there are no accent marks on any of these forms.
Example Sentences
Le dije la verdad a mi madre.
I told my mother the truth.
yo
Él me dijo que vendría tarde.
He told me he would come late.
él/ella/usted
Ellos no dijeron nada durante la reunión.
They didn't say anything during the meeting.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: dijieron
Correct: dijeron
Why: In J-stem preterite verbs, the 'i' in the -ieron ending is dropped.
Mistake: decí
Correct: dije
Why: Decir does not follow regular -ir patterns in the preterite; it changes to the 'dij-' stem.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: digo
Decir is a 'yo-go' and e-to-i stem-changing verb: digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen.
Imperfect
yo: decía
Decir is regular in the imperfect: decía, decías, decía, decíamos, decíais, decían.
Future
yo: diré
Decir has an irregular stem (dir-) in the future: diré, dirás, dirá, diremos, diréis, dirán.
Conditional
yo: diría
The conditional of decir uses the irregular stem 'dir-': diría, dirías, diría, diríamos, diríais, dirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: diga
The present subjunctive of decir builds off the 'yo' form: diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: dijera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'dijer-' stem: dijera, dijeras, dijera, dijéramos, dijerais, dijeran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: di
The affirmative command for decir is uniquely short for 'tú': di, diga, digamos, decid, digan.
Negative Imperative
yo: no digas
Negative commands for decir use the present subjunctive: no digas, no diga, no digamos, no digáis, no digan.