dile

DEE-lay/ˈdi.le/

“dile” means “tell him” in Spanish (referring to a male).

tell him, tell her, tell you

Also: tell it

Verb PhraseA1informal

A blue cartoon character speaking clearly and directly to a red cartoon character who is listening intently.

infinitivedecir

gerunddiciendo

past Participledicho

📝 In Action

Dile la verdad.

Tell him/her the truth.

Si ves a Juan, dile que me llame.

If you see Juan, tell him to call me.

Dile a tu mamá que la quiero mucho.

Tell your mom that I love her a lot.

¿Qué te dijo? Anda, dile que no puedes ir.

What did he tell you? Go on, tell him you can't go.

Word Connections

Synonyms

cuéntale (tell him/her (like telling a story))
comunícale (communicate to him/her (more formal))

Antonyms

ocúltale (hide from him/her)
no le digas (don't tell him/her)

Common Collocations

dile la verdad – tell him/her the truth
dile que sí – tell him/her yes
dile que no – tell him/her no

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "dile" in Spanish:

tell her→tell him→tell it→tell you→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: dile

Question 1 of 1

Your friend asks you to pass a message to Maria. Which is the correct way to say 'Tell her to wait'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

decir(to say, to tell) — Verb

dicho(a saying, a proverb) — Noun

contradecir(to contradict) — Verb

diccionario(dictionary) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

chilebaile desfilefusile

📚 Etymology▼

This word is a combination of two older words. The first part, 'di', comes from the Latin verb 'dicere' (to say). The second part, 'le', comes from the Latin word 'illi' (to him/her). Over time, Spanish speakers started attaching the pronoun directly to positive commands, creating this single, efficient word.

First recorded: This combined form has been used for centuries, evolving directly from how people spoke Latin in daily life.

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: digliPortuguese: diz-lheFrench: dis-lui

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'dile' and 'dime'?

They are both commands from the verb 'decir' (to tell), but they are for different people. 'Dile' means 'tell him/her' (the 'le' part is for 'him/her'). 'Dime' means 'tell me' (the 'me' part is for 'me').

Can 'dile' mean 'tell you'?

Yes, it can. In situations where you are speaking formally to someone using 'usted', 'dile' is the correct command. For example, a boss might say to an employee: 'Señor Pérez, dile a la recepcionista que venga.' (Mr. Perez, tell the receptionist to come.) The command is for Mr. Perez ('usted'). So, 'dile' covers 'him', 'her', and 'you (formal)'.