A colorful storybook illustration showing two simplified figures facing each other. A small, distinct yellow object, symbolizing the information ('it'), is shown traveling directly from the speaker's mouth to the listener's ear.

decírmelo

deh-SEER-meh-loh

Compound Infinitive Verb FormB1irregular ir

to tell it to me?as a single action

Also:to say it to me?when the emphasis is on the words spoken

Quick Reference

infinitivedecir

gerunddiciendo

past Participledicho

📝 In Action

Necesito decírmelo a mí mismo para creerlo.

I need to tell it to myself in order to believe it.

No quería decírmelo, pero la verdad salió a la luz.

He didn't want to tell it to me, but the truth came out.

¿Puedes decírmelo otra vez? No entendí bien.

Can you tell it to me again? I didn't understand well.

Word Connections

Synonyms

comunicármelo (to communicate it to me)

Common Collocations

debes decírmelo – you must tell it to me

💡 Grammar Points

The Pronoun Order Rule

When you have two little function words (pronouns) attached, the one indicating the person ('me,' 'te,' 'nos') always comes before the one indicating the thing ('lo,' 'la,' 'los'). Remember: Person first, then thing (Me-Lo).

The Accent Mark is Mandatory

The accent mark on the 'í' (decírmelo) is crucial. It tells you where to stress the word, keeping the natural rhythm of the original verb 'decir,' which is stressed on the last syllable.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the Accent

Mistake: "Escribiendo 'decirmelo'"

Correction: The correct spelling is 'decírmelo'. Without the accent, the stress shifts to the 'e' (de-CIR-me-lo), which sounds wrong.

⭐ Usage Tips

Alternative Placement

You can usually put these pronouns before the main verb instead of attaching them to the infinitive: 'No puedes decírmelo' is the same as 'No me lo puedes decir.' Choose whichever sounds better in the moment!

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: decírmelo

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly places the pronouns for 'I need to tell the secret (it) to you (te)'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

decir(to say, to tell) - verb

dicho(saying, proverb) - noun

díselo(tell it to him/her/them) - command form

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it 'decírmelo' and not 'decírmela'?

The ending pronoun ('lo' or 'la') must match the gender of the thing being told. 'Lo' is used here because it replaces a masculine noun (like 'el secreto' or 'el problema') or refers to an abstract idea. If you were telling someone 'la verdad' (the truth), the word would become 'decírmela'.

Is this structure common in spoken Spanish?

Yes, absolutely. Attaching two pronouns to an infinitive verb is very common and sounds natural, especially in longer sentences where placing the pronouns before a conjugated verb might break up the flow.