Inklingo
A child standing on a hill at sunrise, confidently pointing into the distance while a stream of vibrant light flows from their mouth toward the horizon, symbolizing a future statement or promise.

diré

/dee-RAY/

VerbA2irregular ir
I will say?making a statement,I will tell?informing someone
Also:I shall say?more formal or literary

Quick Reference

infinitivedecir
gerunddiciendo
past Participledicho

📝 In Action

Mañana te diré la respuesta.

A2

Tomorrow I will tell you the answer.

No le diré a nadie tu secreto.

B1

I will not tell anyone your secret.

Te diré una cosa: ¡eres un gran amigo!

A2

I'll tell you one thing: you're a great friend!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • contaré (I will tell/recount)
  • expresaré (I will express)
  • comunicaré (I will communicate)

Antonyms

  • callaré (I will be quiet)
  • ocultaré (I will hide)

Common Collocations

  • te diré la verdadI will tell you the truth
  • diré que síI will say yes
  • lo diré de otra maneraI will say it another way

💡 Grammar Points

The Irregular Future Tense

'Diré' comes from the verb 'decir' (to say/tell). To talk about the future, most verbs just add an ending to their full form. But 'decir' is special—it shortens to 'dir-' before adding the future endings like '-é'. So, it's 'diré', not 'deciré'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing up 'Decir' and 'Hablar'

Mistake: "Te hablaré la verdad."

Correction: Te diré la verdad. Use 'decir' when you're telling *someone something specific*. Use 'hablar' for the general act of speaking or talking *about* a topic.

⭐ Usage Tips

Making a Promise

'Diré' is often used to make a promise or state a firm intention. Saying 'Te lo diré mañana' sounds like a solid commitment, not just a possibility.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

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

preterite

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

imperfect

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

subjunctive

present

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

imperfect

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

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: diré

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses a form of 'decir' to mean 'I will tell you the secret tomorrow'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

decir(to say, to tell) - verb
dicho(saying, proverb; said) - noun/adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't it 'deciré'? I thought you just add '-é' to '-ir' verbs for the future tense.

Great question! While that's true for most '-ir' verbs, 'decir' is one of about a dozen common verbs that are irregular in the future. For these verbs, the stem (the main part of the verb) changes before you add the future ending. 'Decir' becomes 'dir-', so you get 'diré'.

What's the difference between 'diré' and 'voy a decir'?

Both mean 'I will say' or 'I am going to say' and are often interchangeable. 'Voy a decir' can feel a bit more immediate or planned, like 'I'm about to say'. 'Diré' can sound slightly more formal or be used for promises about the more distant future, but in everyday chat, you'll hear both used.