Inklingo

decirles

deh-SEER-less/deˈsiɾles/

decirles means to tell them in Spanish (giving information to a group).

to tell them, to say to them

Also: to tell you all
VerbA2irregular ir
An illustration showing one adult character standing and speaking clearly to a small group of three children who are sitting and listening intently in a colorful field.
infinitivedecir
gerunddiciendo
past Participledicho

📝 In Action

Necesito decirles algo importante.

A2

I need to tell them something important.

Antes de irme, quiero decirles adiós a todos.

B1

Before leaving, I want to say goodbye to everyone (them).

Decidió no decirles la verdad por su propio bien.

B2

She decided not to tell them the truth for their own good.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • comunicarles (to communicate to them)
  • informarles (to inform them)

Common Collocations

  • poder decirlesto be able to tell them
  • querer decirlesto want to tell them

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/usteddice
yodigo
dices
ellos/ellas/ustedesdicen
nosotrosdecimos
vosotrosdecís

imperfect

él/ella/usteddecía
yodecía
decías
ellos/ellas/ustedesdecían
nosotrosdecíamos
vosotrosdecíais

preterite

él/ella/usteddijo
yodije
dijiste
ellos/ellas/ustedesdijeron
nosotrosdijimos
vosotrosdijisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/usteddiga
yodiga
digas
ellos/ellas/ustedesdigan
nosotrosdigamos
vosotrosdigáis

imperfect

él/ella/usteddijera
yodijera
dijeras
ellos/ellas/ustedesdijeran
nosotrosdijéramos
vosotrosdijerais

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: decirles

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'decirles'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
comerlestraerles
📚 Etymology

The verb 'decir' comes from the Latin verb *dīcere*, meaning 'to say' or 'to speak.' The pronoun 'les' comes from the Latin dative case plural pronoun *illis*, meaning 'to those/to them.'

First recorded: The core verb 'decir' is attested in Spanish since the earliest documents (around the 10th century).

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: dizer-lhesItalian: dire loro

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'decirles' written as one word?

In Spanish, when certain verbs are not conjugated (like infinitives, gerunds, or affirmative commands), any attached pronouns (like 'les') are physically glued onto the end of the verb, making it a single word.

Does 'decirles' ever require a written accent mark?

No. When the pronoun 'les' is attached to the infinitive 'decir,' the normal stress falls on the 'i' of 'decir' ('de-SIR-les'), which follows standard stress rules, so no written accent is needed.